Tube Noise in Seven Sisters (1)

Joanne McCartney: I am still receiving complains about increased noise from the Victoria tube line in the Seven Sisters area of Tottenham – both at night and daytime. What were the results of TfL’s recent noise data collection? What remediation has TfL done/plans to do (with timescale) to alleviate this issue?

The Mayor: Noise readings taken by Transport for London (TfL) during 2019 indicate that noise levels have increased in this area.
TfL has assessed this section of track and identified some faults, including the poor condition of some sleepers, which may have contributed to increased noise. Initial works to rectify these issues were carried out in early December 2019, and further mitigation works will be completed by the end of January 2020. Following this, TfL will arrange for further noise measurements to be carried out to assess the works’ effectiveness.
Rail grinding will also be carried out in this area by spring 2020. If these measures fail to reduce noise levels, TfL will consider alternative options that could be used to try and reduce disturbance for local residents.

Tube Noise in Seven Sisters (2)

Joanne McCartney: What other options to alleviate Tube Noise in the Seven Sisters area were considered and why were they not pursued?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/20968.

Emergency Food Parcels in London (1)

Fiona Twycross: Trussell Trust data shows that 88,379 emergency food parcels were provided in London between April to September 2019 (https://www.trusselltrust.org/news-and-blog/latest-stats/mid-year-stats/). This suggests the year on year increase in food parcel provision since 2012/13 will continue in 2019. Do you agree that an increasing reliance on food parcels marks a failure of government policy?

The Mayor: There is simply no excuse for this in a city as prosperous as London which is why addressing the unacceptably high levels of food insecurity is the focus of the first chapter of my London Food Strategy.
I am doing everything within my power to ensure Londoners can feed their families, but I agree with you that the tools to truly tackle poverty lie in the hands of the Government and it must do more.
I’ll continue to call on them to reverse the damagedone byalmost adecade of austerityand scrap polices like UniversalCredit and the two-child limitwhichare pushing countless numbersinto poverty and food insecurity.

Family sized affordable homes

Nicky Gavron: The latest London Plan Annual Monitoring Report finds that “Bexley, Bromley, the City of London and Kingston upon Thames recorded no completions of affordable homes
with three bedrooms or more” in 2017/18, with other boroughs also recording very low levels of family sized affordable housing. How will you make sure boroughs increase the delivery of family sized affordable homes across London, which is much needed?

The Mayor: I very much agree that Londoners desperately need more family-sized affordable homes.
The latest London Plan Annual Monitoring Report shows striking variation between boroughs in the proportions of new affordable homes completed during 2017/18 that had three or more bedrooms. In contrast with the local authorities you mention, Tower Hamlets, recorded 261 such completions, more than twice any other borough. This highlights how building homes at higher densities is not only compatible with delivering family-sized homes, but essential to doing so.
My London Plan seeks to ensure that all local authorities play their part in meeting theneed of Londoners. Policy H10 of the ‘intend to publish’ version of the Plancovers the issue of Housing size mix and makes clear that local authorities should provide guidance on how many bedrooms the homes for low-cost rent developed in their area need to have, in order to meet the needs they have identified locally.

Family sized affordable homes (2)

Nicky Gavron: From table 3.31 of the latest London Plan Annual Monitoring Report, could you provide the number of new conventional homes in the pipeline in each borough and tenure that are “family-sized”, i.e. have three or more bedrooms?

The Mayor: The breakdown of “family-sized” homes in the pipeline by tenure (net) is provided in the attached spreadsheet.

Universal Free School Meal Provision

Fiona Twycross: One of the Mayor’s strategic priorities is tackling child health inequalities and good nutrition is central to reducing such inequalities. Does the Mayor therefore agree that as schools are hubs in all communities and central in providing food to children, universal free school means for all children should be a pan-London strategic priority and if so, what are you doing to enable this to happen?

The Mayor: A whole school food approach plays a critical role in tackling health inequalities and I’m continuing to invest in the Healthy Schools London programme to improve children’s health and wellbeing and ensure schools are meeting the school food standards.
However, the free school meals eligibility criteria are not fit for purpose as they exclude some of the most vulnerable children in society whose families have ‘no recourse to public funds’, receive Universal Credit but have an annual household income above £7,400 or are experiencing in-work poverty.
In my London Food Strategy, I call on partners to join me in lobbying government to invest in universal free school meals and in November, I hosted a London School Food Conference to promote a whole school food approach and highlight the benefits a universal offer has had in Islington, Southwark and Newham.

Music Tourism in London (5)

Leonie Cooper: Research by UK Music has shown that employment rose by 74% in London’s festival sector. How are you working with festivals to ensure good employment conditions for festival workers?

The Mayor: London's creative sector is worth £52 billion, supports 1 in 6 jobs and is growing four times faster than the rest of the economy.
My Good Work Standard is designed to promote good work practices in organisations of all sizes and sectors. It is the benchmark I want every London employer, including the festival sector, to work towards and achieve. It includes paying the London Living Wage.
In addition, my Women’s Night Safety Charter encourages organisations that operate at night to take steps to ensure women, including workers, feel safe. More than 250 organisations have already signed up to the Charter.
I will write to London’s music festivals to ask them to sign up to the Good Work Standard and Women’s Night Safety Charter. Officers in my Culture and Economic Fairness teams will support organisations to do so.

Theatre Tourism in London (2)

Leonie Cooper: How are you promoting theatre tourism for prospective international visitors?

The Mayor: Culture is the most significant driver of visits to London. Around a third of London’s West End theatre audience is made up of overseas visitors. My promotional agency London & Partners promotes London’s world-class cultural offer through Visit London and also set up the dedicated booking website Theatre.London. Theatre is also promoted to prospective international visitors through London & Partners’ specialist campaigns, for example, Omnibus Theatre in Clapham featured in a recent campaign targeting visitors from the USA and France.
My culture team also works with industry bodies such as The Society of London Theatre, which builds international promotional partnerships for London theatre and works with partners on Broadway and across the world to support tours and transfers. London’s theatre is one of our best exports, with successful West End shows transferring to other countries, promoting London theatre to prospective visitors across the world. For example, award-winning productions like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child have recently transferred and won awards and acclaim in New York.

London Growth Hubs

Leonie Cooper: Just over 35% of London First businesses felt that a lack of government guidance was one of the biggest barriers in preparing for a no-deal Brexit (https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/brexit-analysis-final.pdf). What role are your nine new London Growth Hubs playing in helping businesses prepare for Brexit?

The Mayor: The London Growth Hub has launched its face to face business support offer through 5 physical sites and 4 satellites on 1st November 2019. All sites are staffed with London Growth Hub business advisors, who provide information, diagnostics and brokerage. The sites will also run a suite of business support workshops, to help businesses grow, increase productivity and become resilient to the potential economic challenges brought by Brexit.
The LGH is also running specific Business resilience programme which is designed to help businesses remain resilient and find new opportunities to sustain and grow, even during times of economic uncertainty.
Information on how to book appointments with advisers is available on www.growthhub.london

Ethnicity Pay Gap in London

Leonie Cooper: London has the highest ethnicity pay gap in the United Kingdom at 21.7% (https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/articles/ethnicitypaygapsingreatbritain/2018). How are you tackling this unacceptable difference in earnings?

The Mayor: This is an area where I have led by example. I have ensured the GLA Group organisations have robust action plans to tackle ethnicity pay gaps, which are published alongside their ethnicity pay gap reports.
I am also calling on other employers to adopt best practice approaches which I have set out in my Good Work Standard, this is the benchmark I’d like to see all employers work towards and achieve.
The full fee remission pilot for Adult Education Budget (AEB) for Londoners earning less than the London Living Wage and our employment and in-work progression sector programmes funded by London’s European Social Fund (ESF) are particularly valuable in supporting BAME Londoners. I am also setting out a strong case for London to receive a fair settlement through the Government’s replacement for ESF – the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
In addition, this year the London Economic Action Partnership’s (LEAP) hosted a Diverse Entrepreneurs Summit and the Greater London Investment Fund are also increasing the uptake by BAME led businesses.

Impact of Brexit on Construction Sector

Leonie Cooper: Research from the Greater London Authority’s Economics Unit has found that 30% of people working in construction were born in the European Economic Area (but outside of the United Kingdom). Are you concerned by the impact of Brexit on the construction industry?

The Mayor: Yes. The Government’spost-Brexit immigration plans and proposals to end freedom of movement fail the capital’s economy and businesses.
That’s why I called for the Home Office to reduce the salary threshold for tier two visas to £21,000 and create fit-for-purpose visa routes for essential jobs across all sectors. Even with those measures, the ending of freedom of movement will impact heavily on sectors such as construction and homebuilding in the short term. We, at City Hall, are therefore worried about what the Government’s proposals will mean for the sector’s ability to meet the challenging housing targets set out in the London Housing Strategy and draft London Plan.
I also believe however that we must work with sectors such as these to improve pay and conditions at the bottom, and establish the London Living Wage (equivalent to around £21,000 per annum) as the minimum acceptable rate of pay.

Impact of Brexit on Retail Sector Employment

Leonie Cooper: Research from the Greater London Authority’s Economics Unit has found that 13% of people working in the wholesale and retail sector in London were born in the European Economic Area (but outside of the United Kingdom). Are you concerned by the impact of Brexit on employment in the retail sector?

The Mayor: Yes. The Government’s post-Brexit immigration plans and proposals to end freedom of movement fail the capital’s economy and businesses.
That’s why I called for the Home Office to reduce the salary threshold for tier two visas to £21,000 and create fit-for-purpose visa routes for essential jobs across all sectors. Even with those measures, the ending of freedom of movement will impact heavily on sectors such as retail and hospitality in the short term. I also believe however that we must work with sectors such as these to improve pay and conditions at the bottom, and establish the London Living Wage (equivalent to around £21,000 per annum) as the minimum acceptable rate of pay.

Borough of Culture Impact on Local Economy

Leonie Cooper: How has the Borough of Culture programme enhanced the economy of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, the London Borough of Brent, and the other Boroughs awarded funding for specific events/activities?

The Mayor: My first London Borough of Culture has been a huge success in Waltham Forest, attracting over 500,000 additional visits to culture, reaching every school in the borough and securing over £1 million in additional funding.
£4.1 million was spent by audiences at ten major programme events, with 83 per centof attendees spending money locally. 70 per centof creative businesses in Waltham Forest reported increased revenue in 2019. 241 businesses were commissioned through the programme.
Brent’s ambitious programme begins in January 2020 and I anticipate similarly positive results.

Lane rental

Leonie Cooper: Thames Water was recently ordered to pay more than £2,500 in fines and legal costs after prolonged and poorly managed roadworks in my constituency caused transport disruption in the area. Would a Lane Rental scheme have helped to prevent this?

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL) Lane Rental Scheme applies a daily charge that incentivises promoters to plan and manage their road works to minimise disruption. Over the last financial year 84 per cent of utility works managed to avoid incurring a charge by working outside of the most disruptive times. TfL is happy to work with any London Borough to explore the possibilities of operating a Lane Rental scheme on their network. In this case, disruption was worsened by an error on Thames Water’s part over the location of the leak they were attempting to repair. I have set up a dedicated team at City Hall to ensure infrastructure providers coordinate with each other to reduce disruption like this, including by developing innovative digital tools to aid works planning. I am also in direct contact with Thames Water to make clear the improved level of service I expect for Londoners.

Deputy Mayor - Housing

Tony Devenish: Could you confirm whether, having added Housing to his responsibilities, your Deputy Mayor for Planning and Regeneration has advised on any significant changes to current policy in order to accelerate housing delivery?

The Mayor: My Deputy Mayors have always worked closely together to help to deliver more of the homes that Londoners need. This has included the Planning and Housing teams working together on the development of the Housing Strategy and the London Plan. And both Deputy Mayors advising me on referable applications. Therefore, the current interim arrangement in which a Deputy Mayor has, temporarily, combined responsibilities is not giving rise to the need for any policy changes. The Deputy Mayor is primarily holding officers to account for the delivery of established policy and programmes pending a substantive appointment to the post of Deputy Mayor for Housing. Where new issues arise, particularly funding decisions, any potential for current and future conflicts are considered and mitigated.

High performance cars

Tony Devenish: Regarding the visibility of high performance cars, especially in the middle of the night at petrol stations and other late night premises occupied by alleged gang members. Some of my constituents feel this may show 'crime pays' to some people? What is being done to impound such vehicles? Please also can you provide the figures for the number of such cars impounded for each of the years December 2015 to November 2016, December 2016 to November 2017, December 2017 to November 2018 and December 2018 to November 2019?

The Mayor: The MPS do not hold this data.

London Plan

Tony Devenish: What is the London Plan doing to encourage refurbishment rather than demolition of buildings to drive sustainability?

The Mayor: Circular Economy principles are embedded in my London Plan. This sets out how the use of new materials should be minimised and that this should be taken into account at the start of the design process. A circular economy approach will keep buildings, products and materials at their highest value for as long as possible. All referable applications will need to provide a Circular Economy statement to set out how this will be achieved; as part of this the refurbishment and re-use of buildings and materials should be explored.
The Plan also requires all referable applications to provide a Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Assessment using a nationally recognised assessment methodology, which includes the emissions from demolition as well as refurbishment.
Further guidance is being developed to support the implementation of both of these policies.

Good food retail plans (1)

Onkar Sahota: How many good food retail plans have been implemented by boroughs?

The Mayor: In my London Food Strategy, I recognise the importance of good food retail and committed to fund boroughs to produce Good Food Retail Plans to increase the availability and access to healthy food, particularly for more disadvantaged communities.
Five councils (Bexley, Camden, Croydon, Newham and Kensington and Chelsea) were successful in being awarded funding in 2019 and they have undertaken a variety of ambitious projects to improve the healthy, affordable food offer in convenience stores, increase the take up of healthy start vouchers among local retailers, increase healthy food options available at markets and develop a strategic plan to influence and lead this agenda across their borough.
In January, my Team will start the process of a second round of funding opening up the application process once more to five other boroughs.

Improving healthy start voucher use (1)

Onkar Sahota: What has been the take up of healthy start vouchers in each year since the publication of your food strategy?

The Mayor: Since the publication of the London Food Strategy in December 2018, the number of eligible beneficiaries claiming Health Start vouchers has risen from 35,456 to 37,404.
I committed to support an increase in uptake in the London Food Strategy and have established a Healthy Start working group consisting of frontline professionals and campaigners to assess barriers to uptake and eligibility, share intelligence and feed into Sustain’s Food Power programme, which is focusing on improving uptake through webinars and toolkits for practitioners.
Finally, I am supporting five local authorities to develop Good Food Retail Plans and improve access to fresh, healthy and affordable food. A number of the councils developing plans have incorporated actions to improve Healthy Start uptake.

GLA call-in of NHS sites

Onkar Sahota: In each year of your Mayoralty, how many planning applications on NHS or ex-NHS land have been called in by the GLA?

The Mayor: The only planning application on NHS or ex -NHS land I have called in was for the redevelopment of the former National Institute for Medical Research site in Barnet. The application by Barratts was for 460 new residential units. The call in hearing was on 6 October 2017 and I decided to grant planning permission.

Romance Fraudsters (1)

Joanne McCartney: Will work does the Metropolitan Police undertake with dating apps/online sites to ensure that romance fraudsters are not able to operate on such sites?

The Mayor: The MPS are part of the working group National Date Safe led by the City of London Police and Action Fraud. The group’s members include Get Safe Online, Age UK, Victim Support, Scamalytics, Cifas, National Trading Standards and the Online Dating Association (ODA) who represent the industry for its members. The group’s focus thus far has been to raise awareness of the risks of romance fraud in the UK. If there is evidence of offences then the MPS will investigate, safeguard victims, and ensure offenders are brought to justice.
I have recently responded to the Government’s White Paper on Online Harm, and I have called for a framework of comprehensive regulations overseen by an adaptable new regulator as the way to provide a standardised set of rules and expectations for the public, technology companies, and government alike.

CPS Rape thresholds

Joanne McCartney: What work have you done to understand the recent suggestions that the CPS has raised the threshold for bringing prosecutions for the serious offence of rape? What contact/representations have you made on this issue?

The Mayor: The prosecution of rape cases remains an important part of my strategy for tackling violence against women and girls in the capital. As part of this I have been working closely with the London Victims Commissioner to assess and tackle barriers to prosecution for this terrible crime.
Earlier this year the London Victims Commissioner published the London Rape Review, which gave a comprehensive picture of rape cases in the capital. The report outlines many of the challenges facing survivors trying to access justice and made a series of recommendations for justice partners, including the CPS.
A public scrutiny session was convened, co-chaired by the London Victims Commissioner and the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, to hold partners accountable on the progress they are making on these recommendations. Work is ongoing and I, alongside the London Victims Commissioner, will continue to push all partners responsible for improving access to justice for survivors.

Romance Fraudsters (2)

Joanne McCartney: Do you support calls for a romance fraudster database that could warn potential victims of likely harm?

The Mayor: Romantic Fraud is a broad term which could encompass a range of different behaviours. Fraudsters will, by nature of their craft, use images of people taken from open internet images and social media accounts with erroneous details to pretend to be someone they are not. False profiles are created with innocent identities and images. I and the MPS take any fraud very seriously and investigate accordingly. The MPS have created booklets and animated videos available on YouTube delivering advice on avoiding romance fraud.
I have recently responded to the Government’s White Paper on Online Harm, and I have called for a framework of comprehensive regulations overseen by an adaptable new regulator as the way to provide a standardised set of rules and expectations for the public, technology companies, and government alike.

Waste Crime (1)

Unmesh Desai: How does the Met currently work with the Environment Agency to help tackle the problem of illegal waste sites?

The Mayor: The Met have been working with the Environment Agency (EA) to target waste carrying vehicles. Fly tipping would ordinarily be flagged to the EA by the local authority. In response to organised fly-tipping the EA have established Operation Angola, which is a collaboration of various agencies led by the EA to target criminals dumping significant amounts of waste across the south east.
Police assist EA staff with vehicle stops and preventing breach of the peace, whilst the EA then exercise their powers to deal with identified offences of illegal waste dumping and waste transportation.

Illegal Waste sites

Unmesh Desai: At how many illegal waste sites have the Met been required to provide enforcement action in order to help shut them down?

The Mayor: We are not able to easily access this information as each Basic Command Unit is requested to assist Operation Angola separately by the Environment Agency.
Operation Angola is a collaboration of various agencies led by the Environment Agency to target criminals dumping significant amounts of waste across the south east.

Illegal Waste sites

Unmesh Desai: If possible, please provide a breakdown, by borough, of the number of illegal waste sites that have required enforcement action to be taken against them from 2016 to date.

The Mayor: We are not able to easily access this information as each Basic Command Unit is requested to assist Operation Angola separately by the Environment Agency.
Operation Angola is a collaboration of various agencies led by the Environment Agency to target criminals dumping significant amounts of waste across the south east.

Waste Crime (2)

Unmesh Desai: Does the Met have a strategy in place to deal with illegal waste disposal and the organised criminal gangs involved in this type of crime?

The Mayor: The MPS strategy for Organised Crime Groups (OGCs) involved in illegal waste disposal forms part of the overall MPS strategy in relation to Serious and Organised (SOC) crime, of which combatting labour exploitation is a key component. The MPS works in partnership with other government agencies, charities and other 3rd sector organisations to proactively identify, prosecute and dismantle high harm OCGs.
The MPS supports the Environment Agency and Local Authorities to respond to instances of illegal waste disposal. Where there is intelligence or evidence to suggest the involvement of Organised Crime Groups utilising labour exploitation, the Vulnerability strand of the Specialist Crime Command will review and investigate to safeguard victims and bring offenders to justice.

Re-referral to the National Referral Mechanism (1)

Unmesh Desai: How many people have been referred more than once by the Met to the Government’s National Referral Mechanism for Modern Slavery since 2010?

The Mayor: Whilst repeat National Referral Mechanism (NRM) referrals of individuals are always identified, this is on a case-by-case basis.The data is not in a format to aggregate up within the given timescale. This would require a manual check of all NRM referrals since 2010.

Re-referral to the National Referral Mechanism (2)

Unmesh Desai: Please can you provide information on the greatest number of times a single individual has been referred by the Met to the National Referral Mechanism?

The Mayor: Whilst repeat National Referral Mechanism (NRM) referrals of individuals are always identified, this is on a case-by-case basis. The data is not in a format to aggregate within the given timescale. This would require a manual check of all NRM referrals.

Modern Slavery and waste crime

Unmesh Desai: How many referrals have been made to the National Referral Mechanism by the Met from people discovered working for a company or organised criminal gang illegally disposing of waste?

The Mayor: It is not possible to provide the figure requested, as NRM referrals are not sub-categorised. The MPS is aware of the involvement of Organised Crime Groups in illegal waste crime and has ongoing investigations of this nature.

Trees (2)

Tony Arbour: Are you on course to meet your tree planting target?

The Mayor: In my manifesto I committed to delivering a major tree planting programme, and that is exactly what I have delivered.
By the end of my Mayoral term, I will have directly funded the planting of over 275,000 trees, over 100,000 more than the previous Mayor planted over the course of two terms.

Strategic Investment Fund

Susan Hall: Can you provide a list of individual projects which have received money from the Strategic Investment Fund - including how much and when the funding was allocated?

The Mayor: The list of projects that have received funding from the Strategic Investment Fund is provided below.
Project Total funding £m Date
Elephant & Castle Northern Line Ticket Hall 25 Sept 2018
Canada Water 17.5 Sept 2018
Royal Docks Enterprise Zone 13.7 Sept 2018
Stratford Station 4 Sept 2018
Build for London 10 Sept 2018
Mayor’s Construction Academy &
Construction Careers Campaign  3.2 Sept 2018
Industrial Intensification Delivery Strategies 1 Sept 2018
Good Growth Fund –
Intensifying London’s local economies  5 Sept 2018
Micro and SME Business Support Programme 1.43 Sept 2018
West End Good Growth Study 0.05 Sept 2018
Centre for Cleantech Innovation 8.7 Sept 2018
Workspace Investment: Second Floor Studios,
Deptford and Studio Voltaire, Clapham 1.16 Sept 2018
Creative Land Trust 0.15 Sept 2018
Funding for Full Fibre Connections 11 Oct 2019
Old Oak Park Royal 8.2 July 2019

The Mayor’s London Scientist Programme

Susan Hall: Please give a breakdown of how many primary and secondary students the Mayor’s London Scientist Programme has funded to undertake science projects and achieve the national CREST Award?

The Mayor: Since its launch in January 2018 and up to October 2019, the Mayor’s London Scientist programme has funded 6,800 primary and secondary school students to achieve CREST awards. Of these, 5,100 were primary school pupils and 1,700 were secondary school students. The Mayor’s London Scientist is open to any school where more than 30 per cent of students get free school meals or more than 75 per cent of students have Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. The programme is also open to Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) schools and Alternative Providers of education.

Trees (1)

Tony Arbour: How many trees per borough have been planted by the Mayor since May 2016?

The Mayor: Between May 2016 and March 2019, I directly funded the planting of 174,417 trees. More than 100,000 additional trees are expected to be planted this winter, including the 80,000 planted during this year’s National Tree Week.
Transport for London have planted a further 1,838 trees between May 2016 and March 2019, across the TfL road network (TLRN). At least 1,000 more trees are expected to be planted by them this winter.
I have funded tree planting in every London borough, with the attached table providing a breakdown. The number of trees planted in each borough varies according to the funding applications received, available planting space, and the type of projects.
This data includes all trees planted through my Greener City Fund grants, tree giveaways and other directly funded programmes, as well as trees planted by Transport for London on the TLRN.
It does not include the thousands of trees funded and planted directly by boroughs, environmental organisations, community groups, businesses and Londoners.

Not-Spot Team

Susan Hall: How many not-spots have your not-spot team cracked down on?

The Mayor: Earlier this year I announced that London’s biggest not spot for mobile coverage, the London Underground, will be getting 4G mobile reception. This network required hundreds of miles of new fibre optic cabling to be laid along the tunnels. This will also create a ‘fibre backbone’ across London that will be used to provide further onward connections to properties above ground and provide full fibre broadband in many locations that have previously been poorly served.
My Connected London team are currently working with London’s boroughs to coordinate grant funding to extend the London Underground network to public buildings, such as community centres and libraries. This will, in turn, reduce the cost to providers of laying cabling between the public buildings and Londoners’ homes and businesses.
There is a total of £28 million of funding to benefit underserved areas in 27 boroughs across London. The first 4G coverage on the Tube with be available on part of the Jubilee line in March 2020 and physical works on onward connections will begin in May 2020.

Faulty Tube Trains

Keith Prince: On Thursday 5th December 2019 Tube passengers on the Circle, Hammersmith and City, District and Metropolitan lines were hit by severe delays during rush hour due to “faulty trains”. Should Londoners be satisfied with the London Underground’s recent performance?

The Mayor: I recognise that recent performance has been poor and has frustrated many commuters. The issue that has been affecting the four lines, particularly the Metropolitan line, relates to trains losing communication with the new digital signalling, introduced from Latimer Road to Finchley Road and Euston Square in early September. The issue only emerged once the signalling went live in regular service, despite rigorous and extensive testing in advance.
Transport for London (TfL) has apologised for the ongoing disruption and is working flat out with its supplier partners to further improve performance and reduce delays as much as possible.
TfL has made a number of improvements to the new equipment and software, with further work planned over the coming weeks, which will improve reliability. At the same time, TfL has been rigorously working to maintain the existing older signalling to minimise the impact of any legacy signal failures. Extra staff, technical experts and incident response managers are also on duty at key points along the line to fix issues quickly.

Responsibility for TfL’s ‘world leading’ Bus Safety Programme launched on 1 February 2016

Keith Prince: Further to your response to MQ 2016/3562, who is the TfL executive you hold responsible for achieving the goals of the ‘world leading’ Bus Safety Programme TfL announced on 1 February 2016?

The Mayor: The responsibility for realising the benefits of the Bus Safety Programme rests with Claire Mann, who is Director of Bus Operations at Transport for London. This workstream has been overseen by her from the time she assumed that role.

Bus Crash Investigations

Keith Prince: A 2018 TRL Report about TfL’s Bus Safety Standard - http://content.tfl.gov.uk/analysis-of-bus-collisions-and-identification-of-countermeasures.pdf - stated that “Incident investigations are carried out by the operating companies involved who retain resultant information.” In order to ensure truly independent investigations and that lessons are learned, do you have any plans to instruct TfL to assume responsibility both for bus crash investigations and for ownership of the resultant information? Do you recognise that the current set-up has possible conflicts-of-interest?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) and I are confident that the bus operating companies are best placed to undertake investigations into their incidents.
For the most severe incidents that fall under TfL’s Notification and Investigation of Major Incidents (NIMI) process, including major road traffic collisions, bus operators are required to submit findings and remedial actions for TfL’s review. Operators must include all relevant information relating to root and contributory causes, and corrective actions that could prevent a similar incident happening again. Sharing this information in a consistent format helps TfL understand how and why incidents happen and will help reduce the number of people killed or injured by London buses, regardless of operator.
TfL may also request additional information about incidents which do not meet the NIMI criteria, that may be of interest for other reasons such as where there is a particular trend or pattern identified.
TfL’s trained policing partners also carry out independent investigations of the most significant killed and serious injury (KSIs) incidents on the bus network. This data has been used to understand the causes of casualties and help London develop the Bus Safety Standard – a safer and better designed bus that will help TfL move towards Vision Zero.
I am therefore satisfied that the current approach ensures incidents are investigated to a high standard and allows them to be subjected to scrutiny.

ULEZ enforcement (4)

Leonie Cooper: Can you give a breakdown of the number of non-compliant petrol vehicles and non-compliant diesel vehicles entering the ULEZ in the first 6 months, broken down by month?

The Mayor: The ULEZ six month report, available herehttps://www.london.gov.uk/WHAT-WE-DO/environment/environment-publications/central-london-ulez-six-month-report , provides detail on the impacts of the scheme in the first six months of operation. Table 10 of this report shows a breakdown by month of compliant and non-compliant vehicles. These figures are also shown below. Transport for London does not record the fuel type of the non-compliant vehicles seen entering the zone.
Average number and proportion of unique compliant vehicles detected in the zone over a 24 hour period from April – September 2019
Month
Average Daily Compliant Vehicles
Average Daily Non-Compliant Vehicles
Compliance Rate
Apr-19
89, 527
32,137
73.6%
May-19
87,144
30,146
74.3%
Jun-19
88,588
29,434
75.1%
Jul-19
87,520
28,562
75.4%
Aug-19
83,130
25,802
76.3%
Sep-19
89,557
27,044
76.8%
Based on "typical" days

Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft

Florence Eshalomi: The 2017-2019 Government introduced theAir Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Billto modernise airspace and tackle illegal use of unmanned aircraft. Based on your submissions to the 2017 UK airspace policy consultation, what amendments, if any, would you like to see in order to ensure that London has the best level of Air Traffic Management?

The Mayor: In my submissions to the Government’s UK Airspace Policy consultation in 2017 and ‘Aviation 2050 – the future of UK aviation’ consultation in 2018 (both available at https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/aviation), I was clear that changes to airspace and air traffic management must seek to reduce the environmental impacts of aviation and effectively address the impacts on local communities.
I called for greater transparency about noise impacts in particular and a broader suite of metrics which better reflect the noise exposure experienced by those under future flightpaths. Ultimately, airspace change can only be delivered with the consent of local communities.
When considering unmanned aircraft and drones, this must take into account public safety and security, as well as ethical and privacy concerns and ensuring that publicly beneficial uses of drone technologies are supported and prioritised.

Domestic abuse investigators

Unmesh Desai: How many of the Met’s Domestic abuse investigators left their posts through attrition in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 to date?

The Mayor: It is not possible to provide the data requested as the role ‘Domestic abuse investigators’ does not exist within the MPS, officers who investigate domestic abuse are based within Community Safety Units on Basic Command Units (BCU’s).These roles are not specifically broken down on HR data.

Future Immigration System

Florence Eshalomi: The Confederation of Passenger Transport has warned that plans to introduce a £30,000 salary threshold as part of a future immigration system risks a shortage of workers across the bus industry. What effect, if any, would such a threshold have on London Buses?

The Mayor: The previous Government’s proposals to end Freedom of Movement together with its post-Brexit immigration plans, would have failed the capital’s economy and businesses. That’s why I called for the Home Office to drop the salary threshold for tier two visas to £21,000 and create fit-for-purpose visa routes for essential jobs.
11 per centof the London’s transportation sector workforce were born in EEA countries. An issue for bus operators is that driver occupational roles would need to meet the minimum skills threshold (RQF 3) to qualify for a tier two visa under the Government’s proposals.
The new Government must ensure the UK’s post-Brexit immigration system allows London to access the skills it needs from Europe and the rest of the world.

Trident Gender Breakdown

Florence Eshalomi: In response to question 2019/19971 you directed me to the Met Workforce Data Report. The data there suggests that no officers work for trident. Please provide a detailed answer to my question regarding the gender breakdown of officers within trident.

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) new Specialist Crime operating model no longer has a dedicated Trident Command.
However, ‘Trident’ is a recognised name and understood by many victims, London communities, and key internal and external stakeholders. As such the MPS maintains a specialist response to non-fatal shootings through Trident Reactive teams across four geographic hubs.
The remainder of Trident policing services - for example proactive operations against gangs - are delivered through the new Specialist Crime model.
Trident Reactive have 40 (32 per cent) female officers and 85 (68 per cent) male officers.
Specialist Crime as a whole have 506 (29 per cent) female officers and 1,718 (71 per cent) male officers.

Gender Breakdown of Gangs Matrix

Florence Eshalomi: What is the current gender breakdown of individuals on the gangs matrix?

The Mayor: Following the MOPAC review of the Gangs Matrix published earlier this year, the Metropolitan Police Service now publish information related to the population on a quarterly basis. This can be found here:
https://www.met.police.uk/police-forces/metropolitan-police/areas/about-us/about-the-met/gangs-violence-matrix/
The latest published information from October 2019 shows that individuals on the matrix are almost exclusively male (99.6% n=2,736).

Police Officer wellbeing

Unmesh Desai: Following the successful trial of meditation lessons in other forces it is reported that these will be made available to all 200,000 police staff in England and Wales. Please can you explain how this will work for Met Police officers?

The Mayor: In November, the College of Policing published the results of a trial that sought to understand the impact of two different mindfulness tools on police officer’s wellbeing. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) was not part of this pilot.
However, the MPS has raised awareness of officers and staff to apps such as Headspace. In addition, the new online Employee Assistance Programme offers similar meditation advice as part of MPS efforts to promote health and wellbeing services available to officers and staff.

Metropolitan Line (2)

Susan Hall: What longer term work is TfL undertaking to ensure that the problems currently occurring on the Metropolitan Line are not repeated across the network?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is doing all it can to fix the problems on the Metropolitan line as soon as possible and to ensure the same problems are not repeated elsewhere on the network. Adaptability and continuous improvement are at the core of the way TfL manages its operations and it has robust processes in place to ensure lessons are learnt.
The introduction of new signalling in September on a section of the Metropolitan line was part of TfL’s Four Lines Modernisation programme. This upgrade will transform the signalling on the Metropolitan, District, Hammersmith & City and Circle lines. Each signalling section is unique and brings its own challenges associated with the layout and geography of that section. However, the basic new signalling system is the same across all sections. Despite extensive testing of the new signalling in advance, unfortunately issues only emerged once it went live on the Metropolitan line. TfL is working hard to fix the issues identified.
TfL and its suppliers are working closely to undertake additional tests and software modifications to avoid a repetition of these recent issues. A number of improvements have been made to the equipment and software, with further work planned over the coming weeks to address the causes of unreliability, including software updates early next year and physical trackside works.

Metropolitan Line (3)

Susan Hall: When do you anticipate that the new tube signalling system will be fully functional and no longer be causing regular delays on the Metropolitan Line?

The Mayor: Signalling issues on the Metropolitan line only emerged when the system went live, despite rigorous and extensive testing in advance. The problems relate to how trains communicate with the new signalling system.
Transport for London (TfL) is working flat out with its supplier partners to develop and implement fixes to further improve system reliability and reduce delays as much as possible.
No further signalling sections will be introduced until TfL has confidence the issues have been resolved. A number of improvements have been made to the equipment and software, with further work planned over the coming weeks to address the causes of unreliability, including software updates early next year and physical trackside works. As a result, TfL is confident that customers will see significant improvements to their service.
I have asked TfL to contact your office to arrange a dedicated briefing.

Staff Costs

Susan Hall: How much money has been spent by the GLA on staffing costs and salaries, in the years 18/19 and 19/20 to date?

The Mayor: GLA staffing costs and salaries
£m
2018/19
60.4
2019/20 (up to 30 November 2019)
44.6

Temporary Staff Costs

Susan Hall: How much money has been spent by the GLA on temporary staff including off contract temporary workers in the years 18/19 and 19/20 to date?

The Mayor: Costs for GLA temporary staff are as follows:
GLA agency staffing costs
£m
2018/19
3.4
2019/20 (up to 30 November 2019)
4.0

Temporary Staff Numbers

Susan Hall: How many temporary workers have been employed by the GLA in the years 18/19 and 19/20 to date?

The Mayor: Temporary agency workers are employed by the Supplier and provided to the GLA on a temporary agency worker contract; they are not GLA employees.
For the reporting period 01 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, the GLA engaged 130 new agency workers. From 01 April 2019 to 12 December 2019 the GLA engaged 131 new agency workers.
The GLA formally reports on the number of agency workers in the GLA via the Corporate Health Performance Indicators quarterly reports. As at 30 September 2019, there was a total of 97 agency workers engaged by the GLA.
The GLA continues to use agency workers only when there is a clear business need. The Corporate Management Team closely monitors agency worker numbers.

The Mayor’s Construction Academy

Susan Hall: Please provide a breakdown of how many more female and BAME Londoners now work within the construction sector due to the Mayor’s Construction Academy since you have been Mayor?

The Mayor: The Mayor’s Construction Academy (MCA) is designed to help more Londoners train in the skills they need to access construction industry vacancies across London.The MCA hubs fund local coordination activity between training providers, employers, local authorities and other organisations delivering in the sector to support Londoners access learning and secure employment. In March 2019 seven hubs went live with a combined grant value of £1.47 million.
In the seven months of delivery reported to end of Q2 2019/20, 741 BAME Londoners found construction employment through hub partners against a comparative 2017/18 baseline of 429. In addition, 386 women found construction employment through hub partners against a comparative 2017/18 baseline of 94.

Digital Talent Programme

Susan Hall: Please provide a breakdown of how many more female and BAME Londoners now a part of the tech workforce due to the Digital Talent programme since you have been Mayor?

The Mayor: Launched in February 2018, the Mayor’s Digital Talent Programme aims to plug a growing digital skills shortage in London’s labour market with diverse, home-grown talent. The programme aims to deliver training to 800 Londoners and to support 500 learners to gain new skills and work experience through work placements. The targets are to support 56 per centparticipants from ethnic minorities and at least 50 per centfemale participants.
The programme is ongoing with a planned end date of March 2021. An interim report will be available by March 2020, and the final evaluation of outcomes and outputs will be available from March 2021. These reports will include an evaluation of the outcomes for female and BAME Londoners.

Borough carbon offset survey (1)

Leonie Cooper: Your carbon offset survey results revealed worrying discrepancies between Boroughs in terms of the amount secured and collected. What support, and if necessary, penalties and enforcement actions, are available to increase the amount collected?

The Mayor: All boroughs are now implementing the zero carbon homes and offsetting policy in some form, with over £50 million offset payments collected, or secured for collection, since October 2016. A lower volume of payments in individual boroughs is not necessarily indicative of a failure to collect funds as it is dependent on the number of planning applications received. As the report explains, there a range of valid reasons for the varying amounts of offset funding collected and secured by boroughs, but my priority remains for on-site reductions to be maximised first before offsetting is considered.
Boroughs are required to establish and administer a carbon offset fund, but offsetting remains a last resort and should be considered only after on-site carbon reductions have been prioritised. The role of offsetting will diminish over time as technical solutions to achieve zero carbon on-site becomes technically and economically viable. Whilst I do not have formal enforcement powers or powers to set penalties, I have ensured my officers provide support to boroughs to enable a systematic and consistent approach through guidance which is available on our website, workshops and ad hoc advice to support the collection of payments from all major residential developments in boroughs as part of their response to the climate emergency.

Appointment of TfL Chief Safety Officer

Keith Prince: On 11 September 2019, Deputy Mayor Heidi Alexander announced the appointment of a new TfL Chief HSE Officer reporting directly to the Commissioner. What recruitment process was followed before appointing an internal candidate as the new head of HSE? Can the Mayor confirm that the new Chief HSE Officer has any training or experience in HSE?

The Mayor: Ahead of the appointment of the new Chief Safety Officer, an internal recruitment process took place to assess the suitability of potential candidates against the requirements for the role. The successful candidate went through a rigorous two-stage process and was appointed after demonstrating those requirements. The individual has a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience in road safety and strategic safety policy. She has been working for Transport for London since 2006 in a number of senior roles and was previously Director of Transport Strategy, leading on the development of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and the Vision Zero action plan.
As part of ongoing professional development, the new Chief Safety Officer is in the process of gaining National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) and Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) accreditation and has the capability and experience required to lead the new Safety, Health and Environment function.

GPS tagging pilot

Shaun Bailey: What are the emerging conclusions of the GPS tagging pilot to tackle violent crime?

The Mayor: The GPS pilot for knife crime offenders was launched in February this year. This pilot is open to cases being released from prison before the end of April 2020, with the last cases being monitored until end of September 2020.
An evaluation of the pilot is being undertaken and will be published following its conclusion.

PHVs and the Congestion Charge (7)

Florence Eshalomi: Please provide me with the Average Number of Taxis Detected in CC Zone During Charging Hours each Charging Day. Please break down the data by calendar month and provide data for July 2018 to November 2019 inclusive.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) monitors the number of taxis seen in the Congestion Charge zone during operational hours by matching daily Congestion Charge camera captures against the live database of licensed taxis on each day of travel. The average number of taxis seen in the zone during charging hours between Monday 01 July and Friday 29 November 2019 is shown in the table below.
Month
Average Number of Licenced Taxis Detected In The Congestion Charge Zone During Charging Hours On Charging Days
Jul-18
9,352
Aug-18
8,375
Sep-18
9,398
Oct-18
9,504
Nov-18
10,076
Dec-18
9,897
Jan-19
9,126
Feb-19
12,566
Mar-19
10,203
Apr-19
8,574
May-19
10,030
Jun-19
9,581
Jul-19
9,104
Aug-19
8,403
Sep-19
9,214
Oct-19
9,138
Nov-19
9,604

PHVs and the Congestion Charge (6)

Florence Eshalomi: Please provide me with the Average Number of PHVs Detected in CC Zone During Charging Hours each Charging Day. Please break down the data by calendar month and provide data for July 2018 to November 2019 inclusive.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) monitors the number of unique private hire vehicles (PHVs) seen in the Congestion Charge zone during operational hours by matching daily Congestion Charge camera captures against the live database of licensed PHVs on each day of travel. The average number of PHVs seen in the zone during charging hours between Monday 01 July and Friday 29 November 2019 is shown in the table below.
Month
Average Number of Licenced Private Hire Vehicles Detected In The Congestion Charge Zone During Charging Hours On Charging Days
Jul-18
17,958
Aug-18
15,959
Sep-18
17,595
Oct-18
17,631
Nov-18
18,475
Dec-18
18,452
Jan-19
16,746
Feb-19
21,129
Mar-19
18,168
Apr-19
12,799
May-19
14,425
Jun-19
13,929
Jul-19
13,291
Aug-19
12,050
Sep-19
13,495
Oct-19
13,029
Nov-19
13,698

PHVs and the Congestion Charge (4)

Florence Eshalomi: Since 8 April 2019 how many private hire vehicles have received Congestion Charge penalty charge notices? Please break down the figures by month.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has issued penalty charge notices (PCNs) to 17,343 unique private hire vehicles (PHVs) for non-payment of the Congestion Charge between 08 April and 30 November 2019. The number of those unique PHVs to which PCNs were issued each month is shown in the table below.
Congestion Charge PCNs issued to PHVs
Month
Unique PHV* Vehicles
Apr-19
6,012
May-19
3,924
Jun-19
2,910
Jul-19
2,904
Aug-19
2,224
Sep-19
2,263
Oct-19
2,275
Nov-19
2,004

PHVs and the Congestion Charge (2)

Florence Eshalomi: Private hire vehicles that are designated as wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs) will retain the exemption, but only when carrying out a private hire booking for a TfL-licensed private hire operator. Since 8 April 2019 how many such vehicles have entered the Congestion Charge Zone during hours of operation? Please break down the figures by month.

The Mayor: Transport for London’s (TfL’s) records show that, as of 09 December 2019, there are 188 Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs) that are designated as wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs).
TfL monitors the number of unique PHVs seen in the Congestion Charge zone during operational hours. The total number of unique wheelchair-accessible PHVs seen in the zone between 08 April and 30 November 2019 was 108. The number of those unique PHVs seen each month is shown in the table below.
Wheelchair-accessible PHVs seen in the Congestion Charge Zone
Month
Unique WAV PHV Vehicles
Apr-19
62
May-19
70
Jun-19
74
Jul-19
72
Aug-19
57
Sep-19
68
Oct-19
71
Nov-19
75

Retrofit accelerator

Leonie Cooper: I welcome the deep whole-house retrofit approach being taken by the new retrofit accelerator. What lessons have been learned and changes made from the predecessor home retrofitting programmes?

The Mayor: The key learning from its predecessor, RE:NEW, is that the standard approach to retrofit (e.g. basic measures like loft and cavity insulation, often deployed in isolation of other measures) does not provide the reduction in energy use and carbon emissions necessary to tackle the climate emergency and protect vulnerable householders from fuel poverty.
The fundamental change made as a result of this learning is to specify that homes must achieve an average of 60 per centcarbon reduction as a result of multiple, deeper measures balanced with adequate ventilation, in a ‘whole-house approach’. By improving the ‘building fabric’ (walls, windows, floors and roofs), the heating system and installing renewable energy (where possible) at the same time, the programme will ensure that supported properties contribute even more to London’s zero carbon ambitions and provide healthy and affordable places to live for residents.
As part of this ambitious approach, the programme is also working with the supply chain to help drive down costs and accelerate growth in this part of the Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services sector.

Safeguarding Processes for Gang Associated Young People

Florence Eshalomi: Please explain the safeguarding processes used by police where they are concerned that a child may be at risk from gang activities but is not involved in criminality?

The Mayor: Police have a statutory obligation to safeguard all children and this will always be the foremost consideration when a child comes to notice of police.
If a child is in immediate risk, police can take them into police protection to ensure that they are safe. If police become aware of information which does not require actioning urgently, sharing this with partners through a Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub allows other agencies to see if they hold any relevant information on the child. The circumstances may then mean that a local authority’s Childrens Services team put a safeguarding plan in place, which could require police to attend partnership meetings.
Those individuals who are known to be a member of a gang with clear, corroborated intelligence would be considered for inclusion on the Gangs Matrix leading where by they would come to the attention of a dedicated gang teams.
Those on the periphery of gangs would be subject of intelligence sharing and considered during the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub triage process for appropriate action, which dependent on the level of risk could require a statutory or preventative intervention.

Cuts to Export Tariffs and Feed-in-Tariffs (2)

Leonie Cooper: You recently provided me with data showing that London currently has around 78,004 kW of solar capacity. How much more would be possible if Government had not cut the Export Tariff and Feed-in-Tariff?

The Mayor: The removal of the feed-in tariff (FiT) and export tariff clearly makes solar panels a less attractive investment for Londoners and I have consistently called on the government to reverse this cut.
It is not possible to estimate how much more would have been possible if Government had not removed these subsidies, as there is no mechanism to monitor solar installations since the closure of the scheme. According to BEIS data, peak levels of solar were installed in London in 2011, with nearly 15,000kW installed. Given PV has come down in price since then, it could reasonably be assumed that had the FiT continued, annual installation rates would have been in excess of this.
Cuts to Government subsidy for solar have dealt a significant blow to the solar industry across the UK and is another example of Government policy failing to tackle the climate emergency.
Despite this, installations in London do continue, thanks to my zero carbon homes policy and Solar Together London scheme.

Cuts to Export Tariffs and Feed-in-Tariffs (3)

Leonie Cooper: What assessment have you made of the potential solar capacity in London and is achieving this feasible in the context of the cuts?

The Mayor: My Solar Action Plan provided an initial assessment that 1GW of solar could be achieved in London by 2030 and 2GW by 2050. My plan also highlighted that achieving these targets would need strong and supportive policy from national government. Unfortunately, we do not have this and the cuts to the feed-in tariff have made these ambitious targets even more challenging.
To support Londoners still interested in installing solar despite these cuts, I’ve commissioned the development of a London Solar Opportunity Map. This will map the potential solar capacity on every roof and area of open land across the city, helping identify locations with greatest solar potential. The map is currently in development and will be published next year.
In addition, TfL has carried out detailed studies of the total solar potential across its estate to support the longer term ambitions of my Solar Action Plan. This has included mapping the total potential across all TfL-owned rooftops, and studies on larger land holdings and trackside areas. TfL will be undertaking on-site assessments of the most promising locations over the coming months

Access to nature (2)

Leonie Cooper: What data is available on Londoners’ usage of and satisfaction with our green open spaces?

The Mayor: Since 2017 the charity Parks for London has published the annual Good Parks for London report. The report includes data on public satisfaction with parks taken from public satisfaction surveys that are regularly undertaken by boroughs.
In the 2019 report satisfaction ratings were recorded by 25 boroughs. These varied from a relatively low rating of 49-69 per centin 6 boroughs; 70-89 per centin 13 boroughs and 90 per cent+ in 6 boroughs. Seven boroughs did not provide data.See here:https://parksforlondon.org.uk/good-parks-for-london/
In addition, the London Ward Well-being scores present a combined measure of well-being indicators including access to public open space and nature.See here:https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/london-ward-well-being-scores

Cuts to Export Tariffs and Feed-in-Tariffs (1)

Leonie Cooper: What estimate have you made of the amount London has lost as a result of the Government’s cuts to Export Tariffs and FiTs?

The Mayor: The removal of the feed-in tariff (FiT) and export tariff clearly makes solar panels a less attractive investment for Londoners and I have consistently called on the government to reverse this cut.
It is not possible to estimate the impact of the removal of these subsidies as there is no mechanism to monitor solar installations since the closure of the scheme. According to BEIS data, peak levels of solar were installed in London in 2011, with nearly 15,000kW installed. Given solar has come down in price since then, it could reasonably be assumed that had the FiT continued, annual installation rates would have been in excess of this.
Cuts to Government subsidy for solar has dealt a significant blow to the solar industry across the UK and is another example of Government policy failing to tackle the climate emergency.
Despite this, installations in London do continue, thanks to my zero carbon homes policy and Solar Together London scheme.

Access to nature (1)

Leonie Cooper: The Wildlife Trusts recently recommended that children should spend an hour a day in nature. Will you conduct an assessment of how much time children in London spend in nature?

The Mayor: I agree with the Wildlife Trusts that every child should have the opportunity to explore, play and learn outdoors.
Natural England has been conducting regular monitoring of engagement with the natural environment (MENE). This provides a rich source of data about access to parks, greenspace and the countryside which is informing our own policy and projects on access to nature.
Since 2017 the MENE initiative has published data specifically relating to children. The report provides a regional breakdown. It shows that 70 per centof children in London frequently spend time outdoors compared to 79 per centin Yorkshire (the highest) and 47 per centin the North east (the lowest). Urban greenspaces were the most common place visited by children in all regions.
Despite the relatively high frequency of outdoor activity in London, the report also highlights that, in all regions, children from BAME and lower income households are less likely to spend time in parks and greenspaces. That is why I have implemented the policies and initiatives outlined in my response to Mayor's Question 2019/20795 to ensure all children in London have access to better quality green space.

PHVs and the Congestion Charge (8)

Florence Eshalomi: What review, if any, has TfL conducted on the effectiveness of removing the congestion charge discount from Private Hire Vehicles? If a review has been conducted will you publish it? If a review has not been conducted, do you have any plans to hold a review in the coming months?

The Mayor: As set out in my Transport Strategy, Transport for London (TfL) keeps the Congestion Charging scheme under review. It monitors vehicular entries into the Congestion Charging zone, including the number of licensed private hire vehicles (PHVs) in the Zone during charging hours. Quarterly updates of the average number of PHV entries are published on the TfL website.
Since the removal of the exemption to the congestion charge for PHVs became effective in April of this year, the reduction in the number of PHVs seen in the zone during charging hours is broadly within the range predicted in analysis undertaken by Cambridge Economic Policy Associates on behalf of TfL. This analysis can be found here https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/policy/private-hire-charge-exemption/user_uploads/tfl-phv-congestion-charge-study.pdf. The fall in unique PHVs entering the zone on a single day has been as high as 42 per cent (or 7,797 fewer vehicles) when compared with before the exemption was removed.

Met computers (2)

Susan Hall: How many Met computers use Windows XP?

The Mayor: Currently there are 340 XP Computers in the Met – the majority of which are standalone, i.e. don’t connect to the Met network but are sited on Met premises and provide access to local legacy systems. The objective is to have removed all the remaining XP machines by the end of 2020.

Met computers (1)

Susan Hall: What is the Met’s Clearwell computer system and how much does it cost a year?

The Mayor: Clearwell is system used primarily by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) to support investigations requiring digital enquiries. It can extract, redact and disclose downloaded profile data in an efficient GDPR compliant manner; extracting emails and other relevant data across the Met’s network, thereby directly supporting the Met’s values of Integrity and Professionalism.
Clearwell is also used to support court order disclosures, coroners/tribunal courts disclosure requests, FoIA requests and providing disclosures to the Home Office and Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Total annual hardware/software support is approximately £201k p.a.

Tube noise in Fitzrovia [1]

Andrew Dismore: Why has rail-grinding not been carried out on the Northbound track of the Victoria Line in the Fitzroy Square area since February 2019? Given your recent letter to Assembly Members where you stated that rail grinding would be used to mitigate tube noise, will you reconsider this decision?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) and I are committed to minimising noise and disruption caused by the Tube.
Previously, rail grinding was generally carried out by TfL on an annual basis to maintain the condition of the track. This is why rail grinding has not been carried out on the northbound section of the track since February 2019. However, TfL has now dedicated one of its two rail grinding machines to addressing noise and vibration concerns, and in the future will carry out rail grinding at key noise locations on a more regular basis.
Further rail grinding in the Fitzroy Square area is scheduled for spring 2020. TfL will continue to take regular noise measurements, to determine how often rail grinding should be carried out in this location.

Upskirting on London underground

Susan Hall: For each of the years December 2016 to November 2017, December 2017 to November 2018 and December 2018 to November 2019, how many reports of upskirting on the London underground have been recorded?

The Mayor: Between 01/04/2019 and 31/11/2019, the British Transport Police recorded 44 offences of upskirting on the London Underground.
Prior to April 2019, upskirting was not a specific criminal offence and so figures are not available.

Sex on TFL buses

Susan Hall: For each of the years December 2016 to November 2017, December 2017 to November 2018 and December 2018 to November 2019, how many reports of people having sex on TFL buses have been recorded?

The Mayor: Having sex in public is not a specific offence and if reported would be recorded by the Police as an act of outraging public decency.

Sex on London underground

Susan Hall: For each of the years December 2016 to November 2017, December 2017 to November 2018 and December 2018 to November 2019, how many reports of people having sex on the London underground have been recorded?

The Mayor: Having sex in public is not a specific offence and if reported would be recorded by the Police as an act of outraging public decency.

Murder investigation teams

Susan Hall: How many police officers should be part of a murder investigation team and what is the average in the Met over the past year? Further to this, what is the maximum number of murder investigations a police officer should be investigating, and please can you provide a breakdown of the numbers currently e.g. x officers have 6 live investigations, x officers have 7 live investigations etc.?

The Mayor: There are around 26 officers in each Murder team.
This typically consists of:
A further 4 civilian staff members provide support to the team.
There is no set minimum or maximum caseload per team and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is unable to provide a case breakdown in the detail requested. However, the MPS assures me they regularly review resources and caseloads (including their complexity) of the teams and redistribute work as appropriate.

Stirling Corner

Andrew Dismore: What is the latest on plans to improve pedestrian access around Stirling Corner?

The Mayor: Work began on 21 November 2019 to introduce a pedestrian and cycle crossing facility at Stirling Corner, across Barnet Way. It is scheduled for completion by the end of February 2020.

Met computers (3)

Susan Hall: How many computer systems does the Met currently operate?

The Mayor: By computer systems this has been taken to mean Applications. As of 2nd December, the Met had 253 live Applications. This number does not include any Applications with a protective marking of Secret or higher.

New Recruits

Shaun Bailey: For each of the years December 2016 to November 2017, December 2017 to November 2018 and December 2018 to November 2019, please can you provide the ethnic breakdown of Met police officer new recruits?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) routinely publishes data on its workforce including recruitment profiles.
This data can be found at www.met.police.uk/sd/stats-and-data/met/workforce-data-report/
Table 8 of the October report provides a breakdown of police recruits by ethnicity and gender over the last 10 years.

Disability employment gap

Shaun Bailey: What action are you taking at City Hall to address London's disability employment gap?

The Mayor: I have sought to improve employment outcomes for disabled people by match funding the devolved DWP London Work & Health Programme taking this £70 million government programme to £135 million.
Devolution of London’s Adult Education Budget has enabled me to introduce full funding for qualifications in British Sign Language up to and including Level 2.
My £71 million ESF 2019-23 Programme aims to support more than 5,000 disabled people into training and employment. The next round due in the spring will include £6.5 million of support for 16 to 24-year-olds who are either NEET or have SEND needs.
The Start Up, Step Up programme, part-funded by ESF, will support 138 budding entrepreneurs who have disabilities.
My Good Work Standard will support those with disabilities and aligns with DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. TfL’s Steps into Work will inform how we offer more placements across the GLA Family. Last month I held a meeting with three of our latest GLA interns from the programme to discuss their experiences and that of their host managers.
Finally, my officers continue to explore with DWP how the disability employment rate gap can be narrowed.

Crossrail

Shaun Bailey: Since the latest announcement of the ongoing delays to Crossrail, what meetings have you held with both TfL and Crossrail to address these continuing delays and what were the outcomes of these meetings?

The Mayor: Since the initial delay to Crossrail was announced last year, I have been clear that I wanted the new Crossrail leadership to be fully open and transparent with Londoners about the huge challenges that remain around the Crossrail project.
I was deeply frustrated that following a review of the programme it was made clear that the cost and schedule pressures facing the new Crossrail team were even more severe than initially thought.
I attended the Crossrail Board meeting on Thursday 7 November and was made aware that the central section of the line will not open in 2020 which was the first part of the previously declared opening window.
Since then I have met regularly with the Crossrail leadership to understand the causes of the delay and the actions being taken to mitigate them.
They have assured me that they will provide me and London’s residents and businesses with further certainty about when the Elizabeth line will open early next year.
Crossrail continue to keep both me and joint sponsors (Transport for London and the Department for Transport) regularly updated, and we will continue to hold the Crossrail leadership to account to ensure they are doing everything they can to open the Elizabeth line safely and as soon as possible.

Late Night Transport Working Group (1)

Shaun Bailey: Who are the members of the Late Night Transport Working Group and what are its Terms of Reference?

The Mayor: In my response to the recommendations of the London Night Time Commission I committed to setting up a Late Night Transport Working Group. For the first time, it brings together teams across Transport for London (TfL) and the Greater London Authority (GLA) to ensure that the needs of Londoners at night, across all modes of transport, are considered in an integrated way.
The members of the Late Night Transport Working Group are listed in ‘Appendix A’.
The Terms of Reference for the group can be found in ‘Appendix B’.

Late Night Transport Working Group (2)

Shaun Bailey: What are the Key Performance Indicators for the Late Night Transport Working Group and how do you accurately measure its effectiveness?

The Mayor: In my response to the recommendations of the London Night Time Commission I committed to setting up a Late-Night Transport Working Group. For the first time, it brings together teams across Transport for London (TfL) to ensure that the needs of Londoners at night, across all modes of transport, are considered in an integrated way.
The group has mettwice,on24 September and13 November2019, to reviewTfL’sexisting night time offer and analyse user andjourney data to better understand night time customers’needs. The group is identifying a long-list of initiatives to better meet the needs of customers at night, for example through potential service enhancements and changes to customer communications. In January they will prioritise initiatives for delivery in Spring and Summer 2020 and will identify opportunities for further future initiatives. Key Performance Indicators will be considered by the group once the initiatives have been selected.

Late Night Transport Working Group (3)

Shaun Bailey: What have been the outcomes so far of the Late Night Transport Working Group?

The Mayor: In my response to the recommendations of the London Night Time Commission I committed to setting up a Late-Night Transport Working Group. For the first time, it brings together teams across Transport for London (TfL) and the Greater London Authority (GLA) to ensure that the needs of Londoners at night, across all modes of transport, are considered in an integrated way.
The group has met twice: on 24 September and 13 November 2019. It is reviewing TfL’s existing night time services to identify a longlist of initiatives to enhance them. The group has reviewed data on night time users and journeys and has committed to carry out ongoing data analysis to better understand night time customers’ needs. Proposals for potential enhancements, which will help TfL better meet the needs of customers at night, will be prioritised in January for delivery in Spring / Summer 2020 and for longer term consideration.
The minutes of the meetings can be found at www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/arts-and-culture/24-hour-london/late-night-transport-working-group

Air quality monitoring assessment DD2391

Shaun Bailey: When will the air quality monitoring assessment in decision number DD2391 begin, when will it conclude, and when will its results be made publicly available?

The Mayor: Procurement for a consultant to carry out an assessment of the air quality benefits of green infrastructure is underway and will conclude early next year. Subject to the outcome of this we will agree a timeline for the assessment, which will take place next year.
We expect the results to be made publicly available after the assessment has concluded.
In the meantime, additional information about the potential role and benefits of green infrastructure in protecting people from air pollution is available here: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/green_infrastruture_air_pollution_may_19.pdf

Mayor's Business Advisory Board

Susan Hall: What “creative and innovative ideas to improve City Hall policy making” has the Mayor’s Advisory Board come up with since its creation?

The Mayor: I’m proud that my Business Advisory Board consists of a group of diverse, highly successful and respected business leaders from across London’s key sectors.
I established this Board to enable London business leaders to feed ideas into City Hall’s policy making, particularly where it impacts on or involves London’s businesses. It meets quarterly, has met twelve times and I have chaired every meeting. The input members have given, both during these meetings, and through focused work and discussions outside of formal meetings has been invaluable not just in shaping my Economic Development Strategy and policies and programmes directly relating to business and growth, but also in areas such crime and policing, environment, infrastructure and transport.
My Business Advisory Board has specifically provided significant input into the development of my Good Work Standard, the Skills for Londoners Strategy, my #BehindEveryGreatCity campaign, the international promotion of London by London & Partners, the Smarter London Together Roadmap, the London Growth Hub, my immigration policy, London’s Local Industrial Strategy, environment policy and my response to Brexit.

Room/Facility Hire

Susan Hall: Can you provide a breakdown for the last 3 years of money raised by the GLA from venue hire activities - including City Hall itself and any other locations/venues?

The Mayor: The Greater London Authority has income from City Hall, Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square Garden from venue hire activities.
The income from venue hire activities at City Hall was £346,196 in 2016/2017, £243,196 in 2017/2018 and £161,280 in 2018/2019.
The income from venue hire activities at Trafalgar and Parliament Squares was £107,500 in 2016/2017, £122,750 in 2017/2018 and £56,450 in 2018/2019.
These figures are based on a financial year.

Skills for Londoners Apprenticeships

Susan Hall: How many apprenticeships have you created through Skills for Londoners to date?

The Mayor: I am investing £1.3 million in three apprenticeship pilots to promote and facilitate the use of levy funds to create new apprenticeship opportunities.
One of the pilots, the London Progression Collaboration, began supporting businesses in London’s retail, hospitality and construction sectors in autumn 2019. It is being delivered in partnership with the Institute for Public Policy Research, with support from the JP Morgan Foundation. Two other pilots that will support businesses in other key sectors have been put out to tender, to be launched in early 2020.
At this stage, it is too early to measure the number of apprenticeships created, but this will be possible when delivery is underway in 2020.
I am also continuing to promote apprenticeships to young Londoners through schools and colleges via the London Enterprise Adviser Network, and to London’s businesses through the Good Work Standard.

Crowdfunding Targets

Susan Hall: Please provide a breakdown of how many crowdfunding projects which you have pledged money to have a) achieved their full funding target; and b) failed to meet their full funding target?

The Mayor: Of the 94 crowdfunding projects that I have pledged money to under this administration, 82 have achieved their campaign target and 12 have failed to meet their campaign target. A full breakdown is provided in the table below.
2016
2017
2018
2019
Overall
Number of campaigns backed by the Mayor
20
25
26
23
94
Number of successful campaigns
19
22
24
17
82
Number of unsuccessful campaigns
1
3
2
6
12
Success rate
95%
88%
92%
74%
87%

Mayor's Office Costs

Susan Hall: Could you provide updated figures for MQ 2018/2695, regarding the Mayor's office budget for the last 5 years, and the planned figures for next year?

The Mayor: The table below sets out the actual expenditure for the Mayor’s Office from 2015-16 to 2018-19 and the budgeted expenditure for 2019-20 and 2020-21.
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
£3.8m
£4.7m
£5.1m
£5.7m
£6.0m
£6.0m

Bank closures

Leonie Cooper: TSB have recently closed branches in my constituency. Given that banks are a vital community resource, especially for vulnerable people without internet access, what assessment have you made of the issue of a lack of access to face-to-face banking services in London?

The Mayor: I share your concerns and recognise the important role that banks have in supporting those who still rely on cash, particularly older Londoners. I also recognise that many of our business community rely on branches for credit as well as cash. I will ask my officers to obtain up-to-date information on ATM access across the city.
My Survey of Londoners reflected that a lack of access to financial services can undermine people’s ability to take responsibility for their own financial well-being and resilience. If people are shut out or choose not to access mainstream financial services, they will be more likely to use the cash economy and alternative providers, putting them at risk of exploitation and scams. My Draft London Plan encourages strong, resilient, accessible and inclusive town centres with a diverse range of uses that meet the needs of Londoners.
I encourage all major high street banks to follow both the spirit and letter of the Access to Banking Standard and reach out to local stakeholders to discuss the impact of closures in their local communities and share the initiatives they have available to help impacted customers.

Solar Together in Hackney

Jennette Arnold: Please provide details of the Solar Together scheme in Hackney, including application criteria and deadlines, that will help my constituents in joining the scheme.

The Mayor: Solar Together London is my solar group-buying programme, enabling people in Hackney, and across London, to install solar panels on their homes at an affordable price. The scheme is part of my reaction to the continued lack of Government backing for domestic solar and supports my plan to make London a zero carbon city with two gigawatts of installed solar capacity by 2050. To date, 624 London households have installed solar panels through the scheme, contributing 1.43 megawatts of installed capacity towards my target.
The scheme was open to anyone who has a suitable roof and could take advantage of the most recent Solar Together London offer. This is an average 27 per cent cost reduction on the quality installation of solar panels. The deadline to register for the scheme was 13 December and 1,059 Hackney residents signed up to receive a personalised offer. Registrants have until 17 January to decide if they wish to accept their offer.

Solar Together in Islington

Jennette Arnold: Constituents in Islington are reporting problems with applying for the Solar Together initiative. Please provide details of the Solar Together scheme in Islington, including application criteria and deadlines, that will help my constituents in joining the scheme.

The Mayor: Solar Together London is my solar group-buying programme, enabling people in Islington, and across London, to install solar panels on their homes at an affordable price. The scheme is part of my reaction to the continued lack of Government backing for domestic solar and supports my plan to make London a zero carbon city with two gigawatts of installed solar capacity by 2050. To date, 624 London households have installed solar panels through the scheme (including 27 from Islington), contributing 1.43 megawatts of installed capacity towards my target.
The scheme was open to anyone who has a suitable roof and can take advantage of the current Solar Together London offer.This is an average 27 per cent cost reduction on the quality installation of solar panels. The deadline to register for the scheme was 13 December and 309 Islington residents signed up to receive a personalised offer Registrants have until 17 January to decide if they wish to accept their offer.
I understand that a couple of constituents have had queries related to planning requirements in Islington. My officers have discussed this with the relevant officer in Islington, who has given assurances that these issues have been raised with their planning division to ensure residents are provided with necessary, timely information to enable their applications to be progressed. My officers had also issued a guidance note to planning officers on 6 November through the Association of London Borough Planning Officers network, detailing the scheme and highlighting the importance of their role in making it a success.

Drill Artists

Susan Hall: How many convictions of Drill artists for gang-related or violent crimes have been made each year since 2016?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service do not hold this data.
Music can have a profoundly positive impact, particularly on the lives of young people.This includes supporting health and wellbeing and offering pathways into employment. Drill music is an important artform that has grown out of the experiences of young Londoners and is part of the capital’s thriving British rap scene. There is no evidence to suggest that certain genres of music are directly responsible forcriminal activity.

Solar Together in Waltham Forest

Jennette Arnold: Please provide details of the Solar Together scheme in Waltham Forest, including application criteria and deadlines, that will help my constituents in joining the scheme.

The Mayor: Solar Together London is my solar group-buying programme, enabling people in Waltham Forest, and across London, to install solar panels on their homes at an affordable price. The scheme is part of my reaction to the continued lack of Government backing for domestic solar and supports my plan to make London a zero carbon city with two gigawatts of installed solar capacity by 2050. To date, 624 London households have installed solar panels through the scheme (including 68 in Waltham Forest), contributing 1.43 megawatts of installed capacity towards my target.
The scheme was open to anyone who has a suitable roof and can take advantage of the most recent Solar Together London offer. This is an average 27 per cent cost reduction on the quality installation of solar panels. The deadline to register for the scheme was 13 December and 550 Waltham Forest residents signed up to receive a personalised offer. Registrants have until 17 January to decide if they wish to accept their offer.

Fire and Rescue Unit crew mobility

Andrew Dismore: Concerns have been raised with me regarding a lack of station mobility for FRU-qualified firefighters. Will you consider how to ensure these essential staff do not become “trapped” by their qualifications?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade’s Establishment and Performance Team continuously review skills and establishment levels across the Fire Rescue Unit (FRU) fleet ensuring that where possible transfers can take place, this is dependent upon the availability of personnel to train.
A review of the FRU function has been completed by Operational Policy and Assurance and the report will recommend that further work is undertaken to explore the benefits of ‘dedicated rescue’. This would result in a reduced qualification requirement, increased training capacity, cost savings and improved levels of competence. It would also identify a transparent process for entry to and exit from the dedicated FRU role at all ranks. This report will be submitted to the relevant Directorate Boards in due course.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report (1)

Andrew Dismore: What action are you taking to ensure the recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report are implemented promptly and effectively?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) has developed a detailed action plan to monitor and report on all Grenfell-related improvements across the Brigade. The scale and wide-ranging nature of Grenfell Tower-related improvements has led LFB to utilise both existing and new governance arrangements to organise, prioritise and deliver these improvements, including the Operational Improvement Process and the establishment of a Grenfell Tower Oversight and Assurance Board (formerly the Grenfell Tower Improvement Board).
The London Fire Commissioner has extended the role of the Grenfell Tower Investigation and Review Team and has directed the Assistant Commissioner that leads the team to monitor, report and provide assurance on progress of improvements arising from the recommendations. The new monitoring and reporting functions are led by a newly recruited senior member of staff who will be supported by a small team, with the relevant project management and audit/assurance knowledge and experience.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report (2)

Andrew Dismore: What processes will you put in place to monitor the implementation ofthe recommendations made in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) welcomes the recommendations set out by Sir Martin Moore-Bick. The Brigade will carefully consider the implementation of the recommendations, including those directed at building owners, which are likely to have a significant impact on LFB and all fire and rescue services. The London Fire Commissioner is submitting details of its action plan to my office and the Home Office which will detail improvements already in place, and those that are currently being scoped and delivered, in response to the internal investigation and Inquiry. This will be updated and provided to me and the Home Office on a monthly basis for at least three months to demonstrate progress. LFB acknowledges the wider conclusions set out in the Inquiry Phase 1 report and the systemic issues identified by Sir Martin Moore-Bick. The resulting need for transformational change is fully recognised and is being acted upon.

Monitoring and enforcement of air pollution on construction sites

Caroline Pidgeon: As part of the development of Queen’s Square in Croydon the local authority has set as part of its planning condition a requirement for the applicant to provide a Construction Logistics Plan (CLP), which covers the monitoring of airborne pollutants, noise and vehicle and non-road mobile machinery movements, with the information provided to the council and the local community in near real-time. Do you support the further adoption of such planning conditions on future large construction sites across London?

The Mayor: Yes, I do support the use of Construction Logistics Planning and other planning conditions as important measures to improve London’s air quality.
The GLA already has formal planning guidance on monitoring and, more importantly, preventing pollutant emissions during construction and demolition.
TfL also publish formal guidance on minimising the transport impacts of development through Construction Logistics Plans.
My new London Plan has clear policies that give material weight to this guidance and embed the use of current best practice to prevent pollution during construction. This guidance will be updated next year.
London’s Non-Road Mobile Machinery Low Emission Zone uses my planning powers to reduce emissions from construction machinery. This unique scheme has been very successful in reducing emissions from construction machinery, and I have recently announced that I will be continuing to support borough level enforcement of the scheme through my Mayor’s Air Quality Fund. While this scheme is successful it could be made both more effective and more efficient with dedicated powers to control this source of emissions, which is why I am lobbying the Government for better powers to control this sector.

Foodbank Use and Londoners

Unmesh Desai: One of my local foodbanks is appealing for extra donations over the Christmas period. Please outline how you are encouraging Londoners to support each other during challenging periods like Christmas?

The Mayor: The Survey of Londoners showed 400,000 children and 1.5 million adults struggle to access and afford a sufficient diet and the Trussell Trust has confirmed demand increases over the Christmas period as families struggle to afford essentials.
There is simply no excuse for this in a city as prosperous as London which is why addressing food insecurity is a focus in my London Food Strategy, in which I encourage Londoners to volunteer for local food charities.
There are currently a number of volunteering opportunities with local charities being advertised through Team London, my volunteering programme for the City, and I am doing everything within my power to ensure Londoners can feed their families. However, the tools to truly tackle poverty lie in the hands of the Government and it must do more.I’ll continue to call on them to reverse the damagedone byalmost adecade of austerityand scrap polices like UniversalCredit and the two-child limitwhichare pushing countless numbersinto poverty and food insecurity.

Improving Air Quality in Tower Hamlets

Unmesh Desai: I welcome Tower Hamlets’ £200 000 air quality fund to support those with ideas for improving air quality in the borough. Please outline the ways in which your policies have supported the work of Tower Hamlets in improving air quality.

The Mayor: I am pleased that Tower Hamlets are providing funding to support local air quality projects, and hope other boroughs will adopt a similar approach.
Like all London boroughs, Tower Hamlets is benefiting from the hard-hitting measures I am taking to reduce pollution in London. In addition to cleaning up the bus and taxi fleets, this includes delivering the central London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which launched in April. A small part of Tower Hamlets is included in this, and the whole borough will be included within the tightened London wide Low Emission Zone in 2020 and expanded ULEZ in 2021.
The first stage of the ULEZ is already having real impacts on air quality, with roadside nitrogen dioxide pollution reducing by around a third in the central London zone.
I also provide a range of more localised support for boroughs which has supported the work of Tower Hamlets. This includes:

Storage Audit

Susan Hall: How much money has the GLA spent on architects' fees following the City Hall storage audit?

The Mayor: Following an open, competitive procurement tender, an architectural practice has been commissioned to provide the GLA with Office configuration advice on possible physical changes to the office areas following the City Hall Storage Audit, reflecting the unique physical structure of City Hall. The value of this contract is £35,000.

Smart Working On-Costs

Susan Hall: What budget has been allocated for any on-costs incurred by the new smart working policy such as a greater need for IT support?

The Mayor: The provision of a standardised set of equipment and software has been deliberately designed in this way to make the provision of IT support more straight-forward, so we are not expecting an increasing level of IT support. For example, we have been able to withdraw the use of BlackBerry mobile phones, allowing us to retire the supporting systems and remove the requirement for Technology Group to provide support on these devices.
Work is underway in creating a network of trained staff, known as “Super Users” to assist individuals using the technology and reducing the impact of the smart working approach on the Technology Group.

Notifying protesters of police action

Unmesh Desai: Why did the Met not send out a notification via social media of the Section 14 order imposed on Extinction Rebellion on 14 October 2019 until after the order had been issued?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police inform me that they did send out a notification via social media of the s14 conditions issued on 14th October 2019. Please see the twitter account ‘MPS Events’. This was issued as soon as the conditions were agreed and signed. The MPS would not be able to publicise the conditions before this point because there would not yet have been any conditions to publicise.
It is standard practice for the MPS to publicise these conditions on social media. Again, I refer the questioner to the MPS Events page on Twitter which shows that the MPS puts out any information on events in London that the public should have or might need.

18-24 Year Olds London Living Wage (1)

Leonie Cooper: The London Living Wage applies to everyone over 18. How many young Londoners aged 18-24 are currently paid the London Living Wage?

The Mayor: The latest available Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data show that in April 2019 (when the London Living Wage was £10.55 per hour) around 54.8 per centor 227,900 employee jobs in London held by those aged 18-24 are paid at or above the London Living Wage.
Due to data disclosure issues, it is not possible to accurately estimate the number of 18-24 year olds paid specifically at the London Living Wage rate in London. It is also important to be aware that these estimates cover employee jobs in London only, i.e. self-employed jobs and jobs based outside of London are not covered.

18-24 Year Olds London Living Wage (2)

Leonie Cooper: How many young Londoners aged 18-24 would receive a pay rise if all London’s employers paid the London Living Wage?

The Mayor: The latest available Office for National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings data shows that in April 2019 (when the London Living Wage was £10.55 per hour) around 45.2 per centor 188,000 employee jobs in London held by those aged 18-24 had hourly earnings below the London Living Wage – a higher proportion than for other age groups. If all London employers voluntarily decided to pay the LLW to all of their staff (including apprentices) then the 18-24 year old employees holding these jobs would receive a pay rise.

London Living Wage Employers

Leonie Cooper: How are you recognising and celebrating employers who pay the London Living Wage?

The Mayor: I’m delighted that since I’ve become Mayor, the number of accredited London Living Wage employers has more than doubled, to over 1700. My Good Work Standard has Living Wage Foundation accreditation at its heart as the key measure of fair pay.
During Living Wage Week, on the 11th November 2019 I announced the London Living Wage rate increase to £10.75 per hour at a celebration event at Somerset House. This increase means that 60,000 Londoners are set for a pay rise, which is certainly cause for celebration. During Living Wage week there were a number of events across the City and I am pleased to say that we helped to share the message by providing space for posters across the TfL network, and by flying the Living Wage flag at City Hall.

Live streaming sexual activity

Susan Hall: For each of the years December 2016 to November 2017, December 2017 to November 2018 and December 2018 to November, how many instances have been recorded of adults live streaming sexual activity involving children?

The Mayor: This information is not recorded by the Metropolitan Police Service. My Office for Policing And Crime fund a number of different services that provide support for children and young people that have been a victim of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE). These include the Empower programme provided by Safer London and The Lighthouse provided by University London College Hospital.

London & Partners

Susan Hall: Please can you provide updated figures on MQT 2018/2396 regarding London & Partners funding over the last 7 years, and including the proposed figure for 2020/21?

The Mayor: Please see the table below
L&P Payments
Revenue
Capital
Total
£000
£000
£000
2012-13
13,166
0
13,166
2013-14
11,380
0
11,380
2014-15
11,809
0
11,809
2015-16
11,825
0
11,825
2016-17
11,465
25
11,490
2017-18
12,252
0
12,252
2018-19
13,655
0
13,655
2019-20
13,456
0
13,456
2020-21
13,416
0
13,416 Budgeted Amount

GLA Productivity

Susan Hall: Please can you provide a breakdown of the GLA's annual productivity levels since 2016?

The Mayor: The GLA does not measure its annual productivity – it is widely accepted that there are significant challenges in measuring the productivity of public sector services – so is not able to provide levels since 2016.
However, I refer to my answer to Mayor’s Question 2019/20265, GLA Waste, where I outlined my commitment to obtaining value for money.

Music Tourism in London (1)

Leonie Cooper: Research by Music UK has shown that London remains the most popular destination in the UK for music tourism. 2.8million people came to London to attend live music events with £1.2billion being spent (https://www.ukmusic.org/assets/general/Music_By_Numbers_2019_Report.pdf). How are you working with small and large venues to support the live music industry?

The Mayor: I’m pleased that the figures from UK Music show that London remains the UK’s most popular destination for music tourism. The capital’s music venues are also talent incubators which are vital to the success of the UK’s music industry. That is why I’m doing all I can to support them.
My Good Growth Fund has invested in several music venues, including The Macbeth. My Culture at Risk Office has worked with over 75 music venues to help safeguard them, including the 100 Club and The George Tavern. For the first time ever, the new London Plan contains the Agent of Change principle, offering protections to venues from new development.
I have also launched the Safer Sounds Partnership. Through it, venues and promoters are working with the Met police and boroughs, receiving advice and training to support safe live events across London.
I undertake an annual audit of grassroots venues as part of my Cultural Infrastructure Plan, in order to monitor closely this important area. The number of grassroots music venues has remained stable for two years after a decade of decline.

Crimes on the parliamentary estate

Susan Hall: For each of the years December 2016 to November 2017, December 2017 to November 2018 and December 2018 to November 2019, how many crimes have been reported on the parliamentary estate, broken down by minor crime type?

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested data for the period specified.

West Hampstead cottages refurbishment timeline

Andrew Dismore: In relation to DMFD34, now that a contractor has been assigned to the West Hampstead cottages, what is the timeline for the works and the completion date?

The Mayor: The works commenced on 18 November and the current programme schedules completion by May 2020, subject to specific project risks and dependencies. Full re-occupation is expected to take place in the summer of 2020.

Fire safety qualification and training contract award (3)

Andrew Dismore: In relation to DMFD25 on the award of a fire safety training contract, why was the contractor Xact Consultancy and Training ltd chosen over Babcock?

The Mayor: Babcock did not submit a bid for this contract. Three companies submitted bids and, following a tendering process, Xact were named as the preferred bidder.

LFB premise asset replacement works

Andrew Dismore: DMFD44 allocates £3,374,544 for premises asset replacement works. What items are contained under this heading that the money will be spent on?

The Mayor: This funding covers a portfolio of capital projects primarily focused on those listed in the table below.
Project
Location
Heating replacement projects
Surbiton and Acton fire stations
Electrical rewire projects
Hainault, Richmond and East Greenwich fire stations
Window replacement project
Chingford fire station
Roof replacement projects
Clapham and Stoke Newington fire stations
Appliance bay door replacement projects
Soho, Brixton and Paddington fire stations

Tube noise

Andrew Dismore: What is being done to reduce tube noise that affects residents living near tube lines?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) regularly monitors noise levels across the Tube network. Where a noise issue is raised by local residents, TfL carries out any practical action, while continuing to explore innovative solutions.
Despite a number of financial challenges, TfL invests approximately £260m a year on London Underground track renewal and maintenance. This includes a continuous programme of rail grinding and track modernisation.
Since November 2016, TfL has carried out works in proximity to over 200 homes most affected by noise, installing thousands of new track fastenings, hundreds of metres of new track and grinding rails and removing rail joints where they are no longer necessary.
In recent months, TfL has carried out a targeted programme of rail grinding at key sites across the network, which has reduced noise levels for affected residents. TfL is also trialling a new type of track fastening that they hope will replicate noise and vibration benefits for local residents, while also addressing in-carriage noise.

Brexit

Andrew Dismore: What does the Brexit extension to 31 January 2020 mean for London’s economy and residents?

The Mayor: London’s businesses and residents remain unsure about what the future holds because the Government has failed to provide the resources, guidance, and above all, clarity necessary.
Parliament is now expected to approve the UK Withdrawal Agreement, as is the EU. So, the 31 January deadline appears likely to be met.
However, this will do nothing to reduce uncertainty for our businesses, and anxiety for our residents. The Prime Minister has said he will negotiate a free trade agreement with the EU by December 2020, which international trade experts consider to be highly unlikely. At the same time, he proposes to end freedom of movement and introduce a new points-based immigration system. We have no clue as yet as to how any of this will work in practice. We await more detailed plans, but I will continue to fight for a Brexit deal that retains the closest alignment with the EU and protects the rights of European Londoners, as that is in the best interests of London’s economy and people.

School cuts

Andrew Dismore: Have you lobbied the government to stress to them the deeply negative impact that school funding cuts are having on education and opportunities for young people in London?

The Mayor: I have consistently lobbied government for extra funding for London’s schools. Most recently, in March this year, with the other Police and Crime Commissioners, I called on the former Prime Minister to reverse the damaging funding cuts and give schools the resources they need to deliver effective interventions and support London’s most vulnerable children and young people.
In August, I wrote to the Secretary of State for Education, shortly after his appointment, to highlight the £99 million in real terms cuts London schools faced in 2018-19 alone. I urged him to make school and further education funding a priority.
I will continue to press London’s case on school funding with the new Government.

Somali Bravanese Welfare Association

Andrew Dismore: Will you join me in welcoming news that the Somali Bravanese Welfare Association have finally moved into their new home at the Tarling Road Hub in East Finchley?

The Mayor: I welcome the news of the Somali Bravanese Welfare Association’s (SBWA) move into their new home at the Tarling Road Hub in East Finchley. The SBWA has been an important part of the local community for over 20 years, providing advice, information and support for the Somali Bravanese community living in Barnet. The Association lost its former home in an appalling arson attack and it is a great testament to all Barnet’s communities how they have actively worked together - residents and community groups – to secure this shared community space. Further proof that in London we don’t just tolerate diversity, we embrace and celebrate it.

Gender Pay Gap in Senior Positions

Navin Shah: A survey from the Office for National Statistics shows the pay gap has widened from 13.9 to 15.9 per cent in highly paid senior management roles over the past year. The figures quoted for London suggest the average full-time salary for men was £54,721 which is a third higher than the £40,488 average for women. What do you and government need to do to tackle the disparity?

The Mayor: This is an area where I am leading by example. The gender pay gap for the GLA is now below 1 per cent and the pay gap report and action plan can be found here.
Measures to close pay gaps in the GLA Group’s robust action plans include: fair and equal opportunities for development and progression; and increasing flexible working options and other family-friendly benefits. I call on the government to implement the family friendly policies in their Good Work Plan as soon as possible.
One of the key factors behind the gender pay gap is a lack of women in senior jobs. I am also very pleased to be working with many women in senior roles at City Hall. My Our Time initiative was launched at the beginning of this year. It is a toolkit that works as a step-by-step guide for employers to learn from the approach taken at City Hall to increase the number of women in leadership roles.

Special Education Needs (SEN) Pupils

Navin Shah: Are you able to support special needs education (SEN) pupils in London who attend mainstream schools that don’t have the resources to support their full-time education? Do you know the extent of this problem across London schools and how the schools can have adequate resources to help appropriate SEN support / full-time education?

The Mayor: There is a growing crisis in funding for SEND learners. Research by London Councils in 2018 showed that the number of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans has risen by 29 per centsince 2010. My recent London post-16 SEND review found that there is an estimated gap of 2,200 places for 16 to 18-year olds with SEND in London.
I raised the considerable funding shortfalls with the previous Government, and I will continue to make the case for the funding and resources required to support children through the high needs block of the dedicated schools grant.
I do not have the statutory powers to provide any educational services which could be provided by a borough or other public body. However, I can fund work that co-operates with, facilitates or helps co-ordinate their activities. Examples where I do this are my Stepping Stones programme and Mental Health First Aid in Schools project which create and provide resources to schools to help support the transition from primary to secondary school for vulnerable students, and spot mental health concerns in young people and guide them towards the support they need. It is vital to identify SEND early. My early years hubs are providing accredited SEND training and piloting new guidance to support SEND children moving from nursery to school.

Hammersmith Bridge (2)

Leonie Cooper: In your answer to question 2019/20455 you stated that an enhanced Dial-a-Ride is supporting local residents. What update has this had and what monitoring are you undertaking to ensure it covers a sufficient area?

The Mayor: Transport for London offers an enhanced Dial-a-Ride service to residents living in a one mile radius of Hammersmith Bridge. To date a total of 26 enquiries have been made and three journeys successfully booked and completed.
Dial-a-Ride has agreed to consider requests from outside the one mile radius and welcomes enquiries and membership applications from constituents who may require this service. To date there has been no increase in travel or membership requests from residents in the area.
Anyone wishing to know more is encouraged to look on the Dial-a-Ride website https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/dial-a-ride/ or ring the contact centre on 0343 222 7777. Dial-a-Ride is a members’-only scheme, offered free to anybody meeting the criteria for joining.

Electronic device sniffer dogs

Susan Hall: Following the information published in this article, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/dogs-in-metropolitan-police-s-taskforce-use-cyberscent-to-collar-criminals-ntwbtknjz
Please can you provide the following:
How many electronic device sniffer dogs does the Met have?


For each of the years December 2016 to November 2017, December 2017 to November 2018 and December 2018 to November 2019, how many electronic devices have been found by these dogs?


For each of the years December 2016 to November 2017, December 2017 to November 2018 and December 2018 to November 2019, how many crime have been detected by these sniffer dogs, broken down by crime type?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has two dogs trained to search for electronic devices. These were introduced to the MPS in March 2019 as a pilot project and their use to date has been limited to cases involving counter terrorism, child sex exploitation and cybercrime.
They have been utilised on 10 occasions with devices being detected in 9 out of the 10 cases.
The crime types that the dogs have been used for are as follows:
Note that as a pilot project the dog and handler teams are not dedicated resources and as such have only been able to be deployed when not otherwise committed.

Breathe London

Leonie Cooper: Thank you for your answer to question 2019/20430 on Breathe London. How will you determine where to place the additional 100 monitors?

The Mayor: The fixed sensors in the Breathe London network supplement London’s existing air quality monitoring network which, with over 100 monitors, is one of the most extensive in the world.
The extension of the Breathe London network will allow the existing fixed Breathe London network of over 100 sensors to continue measuring NO2 and PM2.5. There are not currently plans to install supplementary fixed sensors in addition to the 100 already in place. However, some existing sensors may be moved to enhance the understanding of air pollution in London derived from the network after a review from the delivery partner.

Tree Week

Leonie Cooper: How many trees were planted in London during Tree Week and how many more do you expect to be planted during the winter?

The Mayor: 80,000 trees were planted across London as part of my #PlantATree campaign for National Tree Week, which ran from 23 November to 1 December.
60,000 trees were given away to Londoners and community groups. This included 30,000 trees given away to 15,000 Londoners to plant at home through my ballot with the Woodland Trust; 5,000 trees that Londoners were able to collect from selected sites during the week; and 25,000 trees planted through my giveaway to community groups and schools, organised with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV)
20,000 more trees were planted at three major volunteering events organised by TCV and Trees for Cities, funded through my Community Tree Planting Grants.
More than 20,000 further trees are expected to be planted with Mayoral funding this winter, bringing the total to over 100,000. A detailed breakdown is provided in the answer to Mayor’s Question 2019/21123.

Water fountains

Leonie Cooper: Where are the 15 potential locations for water fountains currently being explored by TfL and Thames Water? When do you expect these to be delivered?

The Mayor: To help Londoners ditch single-use plastic bottles and reduce plastic waste, I have partnered with Thames Water to install over 100 water fountains across busy areas of London.
On 18 July, I announced the locations of 50 water fountains, which included the locations of 20 rail and underground stations:
All these rail and underground stations are on land owned and leased by different stakeholders (including the London Boroughs, Rail for London, London Underground, Arriva Rail London and Network Rail) and requires obtaining access and landowners’ consent from multiple stakeholders.
So far four of the above-mentioned sites have been made operational:
In addition, a fountain has been installed at Highbury and Islington Station, in the London Borough of Islington.
Of the remaining 16 rail and underground locations mentioned above, several required obtaining permissions from multiple stakeholders and are now programmed to be installed over the coming weeks.
We are continuing to work with Transport for London, Thames Water and the London Boroughs to assess other suitable sites and work with the relevant landowners to ensure all the above mentioned fountains, and more, are installed within the programme timeframe ending March 2021 to reach my objective of installing over 100 fountains through this programme.

Borough carbon offset survey (2)

Leonie Cooper: Even those Boroughs who have collected significant amounts via carbon offset funds report low spending levels. How can this be increased so that offset money is invested in the most effective way possible for reducing carbon?

The Mayor: My Carbon Offset Funds Report 2019, which summarises borough progress with collecting and spending offset funds, provides an analysis of the key reasons why expenditure of offset payments is not higher. For example, some boroughs are awaiting to accumulate a certain level of funding in order to fund specific projects in their borough while others are in the process of developing spending policies and project lists. I have published guidance for boroughs on how to spend offset funds effectively, including exploring the use of co-funding to maximise their impact. My officers are also exploring with boroughs the possibility of pooling funds.
A number of boroughs reported that they were expecting to spend funds imminently so it is expected that expenditure will begin to increase over time. Given the climate emergency and the role the planning system has in driving carbon reductions I will continue to provide guidance and advice to the boroughs and monitor and report on both the amount collected and spent annually.

Drone crimes

Susan Hall: For each of the years December 2016 to November 2017, December 2017 to November 2018 and December 2018 to November, how many offences involving drones have been detected?

The Mayor: Please see the attached spreadsheet

Food waste

Leonie Cooper: As we approach the end of the year, are you confident all Boroughs will meet your deadline to collect food waste? Which Boroughs will miss the deadline and when do you expect they will be in a position to meet it?

The Mayor: Nine boroughs currently do not provide separate collection food waste services to every kerbside property and will miss the deadline for meeting my minimum level of food waste recycling service by 2020. My officers, with input from the London Waste and Recycling Board, have reviewed the circumstances of these boroughs and clarified that this is due to contractual and/or financial constraints.
I am not able to direct authorities to undertake actions if they would contravene an existing contract or entail excessive additional cost. However, my officers are working with the boroughs who do not currently provide a separate food waste service to set out in their Reduction and Recycling Plan (RRP) a commitment and a clear road map of how and when they will provide food waste services, aiming to do so where practicable within the first RRP reporting period (2018-2022). Eight of the nine borough RRPs have now been submitted and I expect to take a decision on whether to sign them off in the new year. The 9th borough (Havering) will submit their RRP by 20 December.
Please see response to Mayor's Questions 2019/9162 for a full list of boroughs not providing food waste services to all kerbside properties and therefore will not meet my 2020 deadline. The response includes the progress being made in this area following engagement with GLA and Resource London officers. Westminster has, for example since November, rolled out a food waste trial to 7,500 properties (a mix of flats and kerbside properties), with the intention to roll out borough-wide if the trial is successful.

Water reuse

Leonie Cooper: Given our climate emergency, have you considered strengthening your planning requirements in relation to water reuse in new developments?

The Mayor: The new London Plan contains policies on water reuse, with requirements to incorporate water saving and recycling measures and the drainage hierarchy requires developments to prioritise water reuse, and nature-based sustainable drainage, to manage surface water.
London lies in the driest part of the UK with increasing risk of drought. With a growing population, increased density, aging infrastructure and climate change, London’s water deficit will likely get worse. I have asked water companies in my responses to their business plans to do more to reduce demand, including water efficiency, leakage and metering, plus planning for new sustainable water supplies.
A more integrated, circular approach through water reuse will help build additional resilience and adaptability. My Water Advisory Group, which is made up of senior leaders from the four London water companies, regulators, NGOs, professional bodies and others working on water in London, recently formed a subgroup to look specifically at how to encourage more water reuse in London. This includes updating guidance, information sharing, exploring incentives, reviewing national regulations, potential pilot projects and assessing the impact of the implementation of the new London Plan policy.

88 bus

Andrew Dismore: Are you satisfied with the performance of the 88 bus? Residents report to me that they are not, saying that the service is unreliable and with greater gaps between services.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has checked the reliability of buses operating on route 88 in relation to these comments and found the service is performing within the standards expected. In the most recent four weekly reporting period, which includes some of November and early December, the actual average waiting time was 5.22 minutes. If residents experience a problem at their stop, they can contact TfL’s Customer Experience team to find out more on 0343 222 1234.

Fires in other residential buildings with cladding

Andrew Dismore: Since the Grenfell Tower fire, how many primary fires have occurred in residential buildings below 18m high, with ACM or another form of cladding (e.g. timber or HPL) that proves to contribute to fire spread?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade collects data on fires in the format of the national Incident Recording System (IRS) which is maintained by the Home Office. The IRS includes a question that asks whether there was “any special method of building construction involved” in the fire. This question includes “cladding” (of any description) as one of nine prescribed answers which also includes issues such as timber framed or sandwich panels. The table below shows that from January 2017 to date there have been 30 fires in low rise flats (under 10 storeys) where cladding has been recorded as a special method of building construction.
Property Type
2017
2018
2019*
Converted Flat/Maisonettes - 3 or more storeys
-
-
-
House in Multiple Occupation - 3 or more storeys (not known if licensed)
-
-
-
Licensed House in Multiple Occupation - 3 or more storeys
-
-
-
Purpose built flat - number floors unknown
-
-
-
Purpose Built Flats/Maisonettes - 10 or more storeys
6
7
8
Purpose Built Flats/Maisonettes - 4 to 9 storeys
4
10
14
Purpose Built Flats/Maisonettes - Up to 3 storeys
1
-
-
Unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation - 3 or more storeys
-
-
* 10 December 2019

Non-ACM related suspension of stay put (1)

Andrew Dismore: Thank you for your answer to question 2019/20476 in which you stated 135 residential buildings have had stay put suspended. Please provide a categorisation of the reasons which have caused the move to suspension of stay put.

The Mayor: The 135 premises that have temporarily suspended their stay put strategy for reasons other than the presence of ACM cladding have done so for a number of reasons. These include awaiting test results for potentially non-compliant cladding/ façade system, the presence of High Pressure Laminate (HPL) cladding, concerns over insulation materials, missing cavity barriers in voids and façade systems, compartmentation issues and issues with ventilation systems.

Equal Pay

Fiona Twycross: How are you spreading best practice to employers across London, so that we can end the disparity in pay for women?

The Mayor: As Mayor, I am determined to do everything in my power to address the gender pay gap that has existed unchallenged and hidden away for far too long.
That is why I have asked the GLA bodies to publish action plans alongside their gender pay gap analysis. Delivery of these plans is central to closing and ultimately eliminating the gender pay gap in the GLA family. The plans reflect the good practice outlined in the Diversity and Inclusion Action Standard – a tool developed by the GLA family and external diversity experts to raise the bar on workforce diversity.
I’ve introduced Our Time – a sponsorship programme that pairs talented women with champions at a senior management level. This has been adopted throughout the GLA family and is the largest scheme of its kind in the public sector.
I am also calling on other employers to adopt best practice approaches which I have set out in my Good Work Standard, this is the benchmark I’d like to see all employers work towards and achieve.

Impact of roadworks on LAS

Onkar Sahota: In your answer to question 2019/20580, you stated that “when such roadworks [that may have an impact on service delivery] are planned the London Ambulance Service are consulted by TfL”. What criteria are applied to decide whether roadworks will impact service delivery?

The Mayor: Any road works which restrict or prohibit temporarily the use of that road require a temporary traffic order. These might include a directional or full road closure, the banning of movements into and out of roads or restricting parking, loading or other access.
While consultation with the London Ambulance Service on temporary traffic orders is not mandated by the regulations, it has been Transport for London’s policy to do this for some years. Consultation emails are sent to specific individuals based at the main Regional Ambulance stations, both at the intent and making stages of a temporary traffic order, as agreed with the London Ambulance Service.

TfL - National Rail Season Tickets

Susan Hall: Can you provide a cost and number issued breakdown for the subsidised National Rail Season Tickets provided to TfL employees, for each of the last 5 years?

The Mayor: The 75 per cent season ticket reimbursement is available to employees who commute to work on non-Transport for London (TfL) services. The annual cost increase reflects the increase in National Rail fares which are set by the government. This is an important part of TfL’s overall reward offer. Information on the cost of this scheme and the number of employees using it for the previous five financial years is provided in the table below.
Year
Cost
Number of employees
2014/15
£8.3m
4,060
2015/16
£9.1m
4,259
2016/17
£9.1m
4,131
2017/18
£9.8m
4,199
2018/19
£9.9m
4,171

Good food retail plans (2)

Onkar Sahota: In each year since the publication of the Food Strategy, how much has the GLA spent on supporting good food retail plans?

The Mayor: Since the publication of my new London Food Strategy, the GLA has so far spent £30,000 on supporting 5 boroughs to produce Good Food Retail Plans by providing them with funding of up to £5,000 each, as well as providing a £5,000 grant to Sustain (the alliance of better food and farming) towards their work on good food retail as this complements and adds value to the work of my Food Team in this area and has helped to deliver my Food Strategy.
Another £30,000 has already been committed to support a further 5 boroughs to produce Good Food Retail Plans next year with £5,000 each in addition to a £5,000 grant to Sustain for their continued work in this area to support the boroughs to deliver this important piece of work.

Good food retail plans (3)

Onkar Sahota: What evaluation is being done of the good food retail plans?

The Mayor: As part of the funding for Good Food Retail plans, Sustain have produced and published a report on their website titled Good Food Retail: Six London boroughs taking action. The report outlines what has been achieved to date, the challenges and learnings of different approaches and case studies of the borough’s work to date.
A number of boroughs presented at a recent Borough’s Food Group meeting where Sustain gave an overview of the project before handing over to boroughs developing plans to provide a case study of the work they have done. In addition, Sustain will also be holding a Good Food Retail webinar on 22nd January. This will provide other boroughs with a background of the project and some of the key successes and learnings gathered from this year’s cohort, allowing them to build upon it and apply for the next round of funding which will open in January 2020.

Measuring Household Food Insecurity

Fiona Twycross: Please can you provide an update on the progress made against your ambition to measure household food insecurity set out in your London Food Strategy.

The Mayor: Addressing the unacceptably high levels of food insecurity is the focus of the first chapter of my London Food Strategy. London should be a zero-hunger city and I am doing everything within my power to ensure Londoners can eat well and feed their families, but the Government needs to do more.
The recent food insecurity measure published in the Survey of Londoners showed 400,000 children and 1.5 million adults, 60 per centof whom are working either full or part time, have low or very low levels of food security and subsequently struggle to access and afford a sufficient diet.
The government must therefore immediately reverse the effects of disastrous polices like the benefit freeze and Universal Credit, the latter of which they already acknowledge is linked to the shocking rise in foodbank use.

Overcrowding on the 55 and 26 Bus Routes at Peak Times (1)

Jennette Arnold: My constituents report severe overcrowding on bus routes through Hackney Central at peak times, particularly on the 55 and 26 routes going towards Shoreditch. This means that at peak times buses are unable to stop due to being at capacity. Please outline the monitoring work being done to assess the impact of the closure of the 48 bus route onto those living in Waltham Forest and Hackney.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is monitoring demand and crowding on bus routes through Hackney Central following recent changes. These included the withdrawal of route 48 and the increase in frequency on route 26. Routes 26 and 55 continue to provide 18 buses per hour in Mare Street during the peaks, down from 22 buses per hour.
As ticketing data is not yet available, TfL has undertaken a survey at Mare Street of buses travelling towards Central London during the morning peak. Results have shown that capacity overall is fairly well matched to demand. In some cases, following a larger-than-scheduled gap in service buses were crowded, but these were followed by another bus with available seats within five minutes.
TfL will continue to monitor the effects of the changes over the coming weeks and will analyse bus demand and capacity data to assess whether additional capacity is needed.

Boroughs affected by stay-put suspension

Andrew Dismore: Please provide a borough breakdown of the 117 residential buildings in London that have had stay put suspended because of the presence of ACM cladding, and for each borough note how many buildings are social sector and how many are privately owned.

The Mayor: Please see the table below:
Borough
Private
Social
TBC
TOTAL
Barking and Dagenham
3
0
0
3
Barnet
0
0
0
0
Bexley
0
1
0
1
Brent
14
0
0
14
Bromley
0
0
0
0
Camden
3
1
0
4
City Of London
1
0
0
1
Croydon
0
4
0
4
Ealing
2
0
0
2
Enfield
0
0
0
0
Greenwich
10
0
1
11
Hackney
2
24
0
26
Hammersmith and Fulham
0
2
0
2
Haringey
0
0
0
0
Harrow
0
0
0
0
Havering
7
0
0
7
Hillingdon
1
0
0
1
Hounslow
1
0
1
2
Islington
1
4
0
5
Kensington and Chelsea
1
1
0
2
Kingston upon Thames
0
0
0
0
Lambeth
0
0
0
0
Lewisham
3
6
0
9
Merton
0
0
0
0
Newham
9
5
0
14
Redbridge
1
0
0
1
Richmond upon Thames
1
0
0
1
Southwark
6
5
0
11
Sutton
9
17
0
26
Tower Hamlets
0
8
0
8
Waltham Forest
0
0
0
0
Wandsworth
1
0
0
1
Westminster
6
0
0
6
82
78
2
162

Non-ACM related suspension of stay put (3)

Andrew Dismore: Please provide a borough breakdown of the 135 buildings with stay put suspended for a reason other than ACM cladding, and for each borough note how many buildings are social sector and how many are privately owned.

The Mayor: Please see the table below:
Borough
Private
Social
TBC
TOTAL
Barking and Dagenham
3
0
0
3
Barnet
0
0
0
0
Bexley
0
1
0
1
Brent
14
0
0
14
Bromley
0
0
0
0
Camden
3
1
0
4
City Of London
1
0
0
1
Croydon
0
4
0
4
Ealing
2
0
0
2
Enfield
0
0
0
0
Greenwich
10
0
1
11
Hackney
2
24
0
26
Hammersmith and Fulham
0
2
0
2
Haringey
0
0
0
0
Harrow
0
0
0
0
Havering
7
0
0
7
Hillingdon
1
0
0
1
Hounslow
1
0
1
2
Islington
1
4
0
5
Kensington and Chelsea
1
1
0
2
Kingston upon Thames
0
0
0
0
Lambeth
0
0
0
0
Lewisham
3
6
0
9
Merton
0
0
0
0
Newham
9
5
0
14
Redbridge
1
0
0
1
Richmond upon Thames
1
0
0
1
Southwark
6
5
0
11
Sutton
9
17
0
26
Tower Hamlets
0
8
0
8
Waltham Forest
0
0
0
0
Wandsworth
1
0
0
1
Westminster
6
0
0
6
82
78
2
162

Net housing approvals

Tom Copley: For each of the last five years, can you provide the number of homes approved as part of non-major planning applications (i.e. those with fewer than 10 units or 1000 square metres of floorspace), broken down into market, social, affordable and intermediate tenures?

The Mayor: Net housing approvals by tenure and planning authority in schemes proposing less than ten units are provided in the attached spreadsheet.
The data is taken from the London Development Database which does not record residential floorspace.

Affordable Housing approvals (1)

Tom Copley: Table 3.19 in the latest London Plan Annual Monitoring report shows that 18% of net housing approvals in 2017-18 were for affordable housing. Can you provide this figure for the previous five years, and a provisional figure for the previous year (2018/19) if possible?

The Mayor: The percentage of net housing approvals that were recorded as being affordable in each London Plan Annual Monitoring report from 2012/13 to 2017/18 are as follows:
The provisional figure for 2018/19 is 22 per cent. This is based on the data provided so far by London’s planning authorities and may change. A revised figure will be published in the next London Plan Annual Monitoring Report.

Energy for Londoners and pre-payment meters

Onkar Sahota: Will your Energy for Londoners company supply households with pre-payment energy meters?

The Mayor: My new energy supply company – London Power – will offer a competitive plan for households with pre-payment meters.Prices will be available when London Power is launched in January 2020. London Power will always be priced at least 2% below the Ofgem pre-payment price cap.

Early Years Hubs take up

Onkar Sahota: What impact have your early years hubs had on the quality and take up of childcare in the relevant areas covered?

The Mayor: My three Early Years Hubs were established in January 2018. Over 1,600 practitioners have benefitted from the Hub’s work, for example by accessing free training, sharing best practice or taking accredited SENCo training to better support children with additional needs. Hubs are also supporting parents to develop their skills, encouraging more people to consider a career in childcare, and are bringing together health and early years professionals to improve support for children with special educational needs.
Latest data shows that 1,700 2-year-olds are accessing a free place in early years provision supported by my Hubs. Annual data on uptake of free early education is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/education-provision-children-under-5-years-of-age-january-2019. Two of the boroughs where the hubs are located showed an increase in uptake between January 2018 and January 2019, of 9percentage points (Wandsworth) and 2percentage points (Newham). This bucked the national downward trend.
An external evaluation of the Hubs impact will be published in spring 2021.

Warmer Homes Advice Service lead borough

Onkar Sahota: Has a borough been appointed to run the pan-London Warmer Homes Advice Service yet?

The Mayor: In August 2019 I appointed Islington, Kensington & Chelsea and Lewisham to operate the pan-London Warmer Homes Advice Service until March 2021. Experience from the first round showed that appointing a small number of boroughs to work collaboratively, each focussing on an area of London where they have the strongest networks, is the most effective means of delivery.

Naloxone

Andrew Boff: Does the Met equip police officers with Naloxone? If so, when did this start, how many officers, and how many times has it been used? If not, are there any plans to equip officers with Naloxone and if so, when?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) does not equip its officers with Naloxone.
The MPS Central Drugs Team have been engaging with partners to identify potential benefits to public safety of officers carrying Naloxone.
Further evidence will need to be gathered and reviewed before the MPS considers its deployment to frontline officers.

Welfare checks

Andrew Boff: For each of the years December 2016 to November 2017, December 2017 to November 2018 and December 2018 to November 2019, how many welfare checks were conducted by the Met, if possible, broken down by borough?

The Mayor: ‘Welfare checks’ has been interpreted to refer to instances where the MPS are asked to go to an address to check on an individual (e.g. a vulnerable person who has not heard from for a while). This is coded on CAD as ‘concern for safety’.
Please see the attached spreadsheet.

Paedophile hunters arrests

Susan Hall: Giving a yearly breakdown since 2015/16, please state how many reports of ‘paedophile hunters’ the Met has received, how many arrests have been made and where these arrests have been made (by London borough).

The Mayor: The MPS do not hold this data.

Providing the Bus Service Hackney Needs

Jennette Arnold: Positive changes such as the bus fare freeze and hopper fare are only of use when bus services are well organised and easy to access. Hackney residents report that their local services have been slashed and severely limited, making it much more difficult for them to rely on public transport. Please explain the work you have planned to ensure that Hackney residents have easy access to reliable bus services that fully meet the needs of users.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has made changes to services in central London to more closely match supply to demand. Hackney remains well served by buses, with all residents living within 500m of a bus stop (around six minutes walk) and most within 400m (around five minutes walk). There are 41 daytime bus routes - 39 of which are high frequency - and 17 night bus routes, including five 24 hour routes.
TfL constantly reviews bus services to ensure they meet customers’ needs. In Hackney, it recently made adjustments to route 30 on Wick Road/Cassland Road, simplifying the route to make it more direct. There is also a plan to make Stoke Newington High Street two-way for buses, which will improve the service on routes 67, 76, 149, 243, 276, 393, 476.
In terms of the wider public transport network, we are seeing greater use of the rail networks in and around Hackney. For example, total passenger numbers at Hackney Downs and Hackney Central stations have increased by a third since 2012. In response, TfL is re-equipping the West Anglia train fleet in 2020 and has increased frequency on the North London line by 25 per cent from 16 December 2019.

School cuts (2)

Jennette Arnold: The NEU data also revealed that in most London Boroughs, 99% or 100% of schools face a funding shortfall. How are you supporting these schools and their staff to continue supporting London’s children?

The Mayor: I am investing £1.5 million in the ‘Supporting Inclusive Schools’ programme which will be delivered to schools in 16 boroughs over the next two years. It will support schools to be more inclusive and nurturing and help young people build healthy relationships. My Stepping Stones programme will be extended to 13 new schools under this programme. It helps vulnerable students as they move from primary to secondary school. I am also investing £8 million from my European Social Fund to support 15 to 19 year-olds who need additional support to stay in education.
I am providing support for the education workforce through my Teach London recruitment and retention campaign. London’s schools will need more teachers over the next few years as pupil numbers are forecast to grow rapidly at secondary level.
I also support teachers to stay and progress in London schools through my Getting Ahead London programme. Now in its fourth year, it has provided coaching and mentoring to 250 middle and senior leaders across all London boroughs.

School cuts (1)

Jennette Arnold: National Education Union data recently revealed the scale of the cuts that London’s schools have faced, with 13 of the top 20 English Boroughs with the deepest cuts in London. Is there any hope that a new Government will reverse this?

The Mayor: The growth in London’s population in recent decades has created great challenges for local authorities and education providers. Together with this growth, London’s schools faced £99 million in real terms cuts in 2018/19 alone.
I have consistently lobbied the government for extra funding for London’s schools. In August, I wrote to the Secretary of State for Education, shortly after his appointment, to urge him to make school and further education funding a priority. I will continue to lobby the new Government to reverse damaging cuts and give London schools the resources they need to deliver effective education to all students.

Access to nature (1)

Jennette Arnold: How do your education and urban greening programmes improve children’s access to nature, towards the one hour per day recommended by the Wildlife Trusts?

The Mayor: I believe every child should have the opportunity to explore, play and learn outdoors.
Through my Greener City Fund, I have funded 220 community green space and tree-planting projects which have increased opportunities for contact with nature; over 5,000 children have been directly involved in these projects.During this year’s National Park City Festival approximately 35,000 children (39 per centof all attendees) participated in events and activities.
In addition, ‘Wild About London’ is an upcoming Key Stage 2 unit of the London Curriculum that will provide tools and resources for primary school teachers to help children connect with green spaces across the city. It has been written in collaboration with the Canal & River Trust, Field Studies Council, Kew Gardens, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the Wildlife Trust. It is due to be launched during the 2020 spring school term.
New and updated policies on green infrastructure and biodiversity and access to nature in my new London Plan will result in the protection of existing natural areas and encourage the creation of new biodiverse and climate resilient green spaces in new developments throughout London. This will provide more opportunities for all Londoners, including children, to have access to nature.

Manifesto for a Better Childhood

Jennette Arnold: The National Children’s Bureau have released a Manifesto for a Better Childhood. Are you implementing any of these recommendations in London and will you consider implementing more?

The Mayor: I was interested to read the manifesto, and I am pleased to be implementing many of their recommendations. My Early Years Hubs support children to access quality provision and Healthy Early Years London reaches over 30,000 children. Healthy Schools London engages 83 per centof London schools and I have funded 100 new Youth Mental Health First Aid instructors to provide training in London schools and colleges. I am investing £1.5 million in a Supporting Inclusive Schools programme to help schools to be more inclusive and nurturing and help young people build healthy relationships. My Peer Outreach Team engages young people to ensure their voices are heard in decisions that affect them. The Young Londoners Fund gives local communities and charities the funding they need to help young people fulfil their potential. In August I wrote to the Secretary of State for Education in support of statutory LGBTQ+-inclusive relationships education.
I am keeping costs down for families by building a record number of affordable homes and introducing the hopper fare. To help boost incomes I’m championing the London Living Wage and piloting the delivery of welfare rights advice in primary schools.

Housing pressures facing schools

Jennette Arnold: Thank you for your answer 2019/20631 on housing pressures facing schools. Will you be conducting a follow up assessment to the National Foundation for Educational Research 2018 report to assess if progress has been made in London?

The Mayor: My education and youth team will continue to monitor the factors affecting the recruitment and retention of teachers in London, such as the high cost of housing. This includes working with my housing team to ensure that teachers can benefit from intermediate housing and using the most recent research from organisations such as NFER to assess progress. Where possible we will seek London data cuts from national reports. We are not currently planning to commission a follow up report.
We plan to publish further research in the new year by the Centre for Education and Youth which shows that the cost of housing remains a critical factor in teachers leaving the profession in London.

Access to nature (2)

Jennette Arnold: How do you ensure that London’s green spaces are accessible to vulnerable and marginalised young people, such as those with SEND?

The Mayor: Both my London Environment Strategy and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy recognise the need to making London’s public realm and green spaces more accessible to all Londoners who may be excluded from them as a result of poor design or management.
Through my Greener City Fund I have funded projects that illustrate how a more inclusive approach can be achieved. Projects include: the greening of a school playground used by Blanche Nevile School for Deaf Children in Haringey; a community garden in Barnet created by The Harington Scheme which provides opportunities for young adults with learning disabilities; and a forest school established at Brent River Park in Ealing which has prioritised children excluded from mainstream schools.
My London Plan policies on Inclusive Design, Public Realm and Open Space (and supporting guidance such as the Healthy Streets Toolkit and Streetscape Guidance) ensure development projects provide a range of accessible and inclusive open spaces.

Young Londoners Fund (2)

Jennette Arnold: Will you be conducting an evaluation of the fund as a whole in meeting its aims?

The Mayor: We will be commissioning a meta-evaluation of the Young Londoners Fund that will look at the overall impact of the fund and how it has met it’s aims and objectives. This will be externally commissioned in early 2020.
Young Londoners Fund (YLF) projects report quarterly on the number of participants that start and complete their planned activity and their delivery successes and challenges.
In their first year, projects also producea theory of change and evaluation plan which sets out how they will monitor the impact of their activity against up to seven YLF outcome areas based on the MOPAC Youth Outcomes Framework. They report annually on how they are meeting their outcomes and the impact of they are having on young people.

Young Londoners Fund (1)

Jennette Arnold: With round two now closed, has all the £45m YLF money been allocated and, if so, how will you build on and develop this programme?

The Mayor: I have just published details of my latest investment of £14 million in over 70 projects as part of round two of my Young Londoners Fund. This was the final round of the Young Londoners Fund. In total, over 110,000 young people across London will be able to benefit from a huge range of positive activities and access much needed safe spaces over the next three years. Medium and large grant funded round two projects will deliver from January 2020 to December 2022. Round two small grant funded projects have already started delivery and plan to deliver up to October 2022.
The YLF was created with £45 million that was available due to higher-than expected business rates receipts.Accordingly, this was funded as a one-off programme, and delivery of the current programme will come to an end in December 2022.
But in the context of austerity decimating the youth sector, it’s clear that the Mayor’s budget cannot fill that gap on an ongoing basis. The government needs to provide adequate funding to support our young people. We remain committed to supporting London’s young people, and I will consider next steps for this work in due course, taking into consideration the ongoing evaluation of the YLF.